Hologram - Hologram+

Japanese ambient art-electro ensembles are apparently a yen a dozen, but Hologram stand way out from the crowd. Their new album is either self titled or a light orange '+' but either way the cover art's all style with sparse, thin geometric lines running vertically; suggesting, not stating. The sound appears to follow suit; instrumental and absolutely subtle the first few times you hear it, certainly, but there's a lot more going on beneath the surface. There are waves, repetition, motifs and such depth that the music takes time to unfurl intelligently. It's as if your computer read Stephen Hawking's blog and wants to discuss, or watched Citizen Kane to feel real emotion and now it's speaking some new language through your speakers. If you're looking for instant gratification, Hologram will disappoint, but even if you aren't tapping your feet to the CD, you could still be nodding your head. [Hamza K]