Amon Tobin – Isam

Ninja Tune's stalwart producer Amon Tobin remains something of an enigma – owing to a reputation largely indebted to the Brazilian's unique brand of sampling, where one minute you're basking comfortably in resplendent jazzy vibes and the next you're quietly shitting it in the face of a Lynchian wall of terror. Isam, his first album proper since 2007's Foley Room, furthers the expansive use of field recordings explored on his last record, this time processing those found sounds into playable instruments.

As should now be expected, the result is a heady melting pot; from the speaker-crushing dubstep of Goto 10, to the euphoric Wooden Toy, to the unlikely Kitty Cat – an intoxicating detour of jagged melodies and feline-themed vocals. It all serves to prove that Tobin remains at the vanguard of electronic music – an expert producer of emotive atmospheres, whose creative decisions carry enough shock value to put your iPod’s shuffle function in the shade. [Martin Skivington]