The Ace of Clubs - Benefist

In the same way that nu-metal was pretty much identical to old metal but with a bit more jackass behaviour, nu-rave is fooling no-one. Except maybe the people who buy those bloody neon PUMP UP THE VOLUME t-shirts, but they'll be up against the wall when the revolution comes anyway. So, sensing a zeitgeist movement once more, Luke Vibert has set out to prove that 'anything you can do, I can do louder, harder and under a better name'. He's done Ninja-Tune funk, wonkier-than-thou Warp techno, and, under the delicious Amen Andrews moniker, in-yer-face grime. Maybe it's a comment on the state of music, maybe the Ubiquitous Monsieur Vibert is just a hyperactive toddler having a 'my dad could have your dad' contest, but either way, this is a top quality album of raving acid house that squelches like a peat bog underneath a series of marvellously retro 303 pads. However, with less experimentation than past efforts, this is his most straightforward party album to date and can be a little boring. Can't wait for his dubstep record though. [Liam Arnold]