Juno Reactor is especially adept at tweaking their own tunes as well as others. "Labyrinth," is the example on this extended play or single. The sonic display portrayed is of cyber slums or futuristic fugitive criminals in transit. The formula is typically the same with laser sounds & continuous rumbling bass lines, but no other goa trance artist can make their tracks sound as pristine when these folks edit their most prized compositions.

The line in spanish is, "la fuerza esta su contigo (may the force be with you)." Ultra-definitive of refined hi-tech electro after the cheesy electro fad in the 80's, nothing was cooler than a non-melodic break-dance tune that updated that old-skool bad-boy feel with a geeky galaxy war ethos. However, album owners know that "Solina (The Ascension)," reaches the jungle high only experienced by those with the desire to explore unknown aspects of slick music with a funky groove. While this may not be a very wise direction to take for composers because electro is a narrow sub-genre, and while the concept is low on originality, techno in general is just an effective utilization of existing equipment to produce fun that appeals to the public so it is a manifest destiny.

I am currently listening to "Behind The Shadow," in my 6 CD changer incessantly. There is nothing significantly notable about it until 2/3 of the way into the song. Then, the glissandos hit, the chords begin to unravel, & 1/3 of the song seems like 2 seconds as time is compressed into space. Galactic jazz would be the fitting description, similar to the Detroit style sounds produced by recent engineers such as Octave One & Drexciya. It is gripping, and it is not outlandishly spectacular, but gives you the feeling of something dear to home like your favorite stuffed animal when you were a child. "Eclipse," is still probably the more popular tune, and "Mind Expansions," has vocals, but I always flip ahead to track 10.

This is very funny dub / reggae record. The songs are essentially the same. On the A side, a lady sings that she is in love with a man twice her age. The B side is a tune where a guy says he is in love with a girl half his age. The beats are groovy & could work in a party.

It is a disappointment that an album as rich and coherent as this has become a moment of the past. The most memorable are divided between 'lilith/eve' (why is there a slash?), 'limiter', and 'ancestor cult.' This is the epitome of industrial, as bands like TKK, NIN, and Skinny Puppy were at their peak. A perfect amalgamation of hard rock and electronics bordering on techno, this unit managed to blend religion with sarcasm without including blood, gore, or tits. They even skip vulgar language, sexist remarks, and racial comments. Machines of Loving Grace don't even have any experimental tunes or bipolar ones on Concentration. Although there is no lyric book, this phrase is forever etched into the neurons in my brain, "don't place faith in human beings; human beings unreliable things... a hurricane triggered by butterfly wings." 'Limiter' was the standout in the beginning, but as I became a devout listener, the evidence pointed to the fact that 'ancestor cult' deserved the crown, hands down.

Marshall Jefferson's collaboration, Minute by minute is the hands down winner in this double pack. Quite orthodox Cabaret Voltaire that sounds very 80's-ish and retro is integrated into Jefferson's knack for house . So unique that it could even work in a modern set, this tune has that high-pitched R & B singing which all male black artists were trying to achieve. That could be the only fault in the disco-ey bumpin' tune.

Check out Swag's spiritual mix. Funky, groovy, danceable, like any other Swag production, this remix does it the best. I think it is even better than the original. These guys are the new generation with creativity and punch and are leaving behind the legends like Carter, Atkins, Paterson, Fehlmann, Van Dyk, Van Dijk, Beltram, and etc. There is a trend towards dirty electro that borders on Tennessee crunk or auto-tuned hip-hop, but real electro is techno. The forefront of technology, editing, and composing has to break new ground and that is what I believe these guys do.

Väth has material on this album which sounds like it is half Hildenbeutel's string arrangements and half Sven. An Accident In Paradise was the single that became reworked by Spooky and Orbit, while L'Esperanza turned into a music video. L'Esperanza has all the characteristics of a well thought out, catchy smash, except for a diva or a vocalist. The bass line grooves, the synth line carries the song, and the rhythm programming fits the bass line. In the end though, if you didn't know any of this beforehand, I think that Mellow Illusion would be the most interesting to electronic music fans. The song most similar to it that comes to mind is Janeiro by Solid Sessions.

This outing ventures further out into melody and non-808, non-909 rhythms. Lasttrak is by far my dark horse here with a swingin' hip-hop beat and swervy 303 lines. What all the fuss was about Kriket is a mystery, because that's all it was: a cricket. Konception is suave as well. All in all, Hawtin injects more variety with tribal sounds, reverb, and reverse sounds in comparison to Sheet One and Recycled Plastik, using the 4/4 kick less often.

If Seph were 2 minutes longer, it would have been my favorite track. The very anti-techno classical instrumentation makes you feel like you are in some basement in Italy. The vocals are mystic and heavenly or underworld-like, whichever you prefer, and in a language I don't recognize. Therefore, Rakimou is my first choice cut. Lilith, with Bjork is also a contender, but her voice is a bit agitating. The other songs sound like an engine that goes caput in old cartoons. Tempos change and beats must be going into 16ths and 32nds, because it borders on Aphex Twin experiments that are faster than jazz drum solos.