To All Things What They Need

!K7

What better time than now for a nostalgia trip from A Guy Called Gerald, with the recent 808 State reissues and the lingering Mancunian sentiments of 2002's 24 Hour Party People? Always the innovator, Gerald makes a smooth transition from soulful drum & bass to minimal techno and ambient house. ;Much of the move may have to do with his recent relocation to Germany, the supposed techno mecca of the moment. Interestingly enough, "American Cars" has the bubblebath build of a Kompakt single, along with the X-Files feel of a Plastikman track. Then there are the two O's of "Tajeen": Orbital and the Orb, the latter of which has seen a resurgence on Kompakt lately. Anyone hoping for allusions to 808 State will hear that through-out the record too, namely in the extended edits of the final four tracks. Alright. We're ready for the new New Order record now. Andrew Parks