Swayzak - Some Other Country

For a decade now, Swayzak have produced albums that are adaptive but rarely pandering to the times, pushing their impeccably produced dance music into new areas. This time round they've produced an even more soulful dose of deep, lush house and techno. It's a woozy and almost psychedelic affair in places, but without ever slipping into the banality of ambient, or (the newest of 'dirty' words) minimalist non-eventism. In saying that, the tight drum sounds and reverbed pops and clicks would not be out of place in a minimal production, but the apparent subtlety of their arrangements belie the true scale of the tracks. Wielding their signature open echo pedal with a variety of effect and abundance of use that would be dire in the hands of all but craftsmen, the dimensions and size of their sound are swollen but not overblown or in your face; restrained through an inherent elegance. It's all a seemingly effortlessly organic and fluid affair; feeling purposeful but unlaboured. The kind of music that you wish you could dance to in slow motion. This is a career high for Swayzak and a clear contender for a 2007 highlight for anyone with binary on the brain. [Jack McFarlane]