Kuniyuki Takahashi - All These Things

This is a very groove-oriented record, designed to lull listeners into a false sense of security. There's a definite jazzy tinge and this is especially true of album standout Flying Music, where the genre takes over completely, swamping the speakers with a powerful rush. It's very much an after-hours club disc, to be put on while letting the night slowly seep out of your head. Kuniyuki's press release hails him as a 'sound designer', and one has to agree. There are many far flung, wide and varied influences here. The Orb and Daft Punk shine through. But, so do Kraftwerk, Marley and hundreds of others. Every sound here is fresh, energetic, lively, crisp and vibrant. With such an embarrassment of riches, trying to pick a high point seems somewhat unfair, but it would have to be the jazzy romantic swoon of Think Of You. [Jonathan Robert Muirhead]