Junglization

Guitarist Brian Tarquin and producer Chris Ingram are back with another impressive set of danceable-yet-cerebral breakbeat electronica, and while it's clear that they know better than to mess with a good thing, there are still plenty of fresh and exciting sonic ideas here. Having dipped into the old Bob Marley catalog on Enjoy This Trip with a drastic remix of "Don't Rock My Boat," they do the same thing this time with an even more varied and thrilling deconstruction of "Mr. Brown." Reggae influences lurk beneath the surface throughout most of the album, and jungle/drum'n'bass are central on almost all tracks. But they also expand their palette to include classical elements, such as the repetitively looped strings on "Chariots of Fire," and jazz-funk as well (note the relatively restrained and deliberate funk groove of "L Train"). Hints of Asian exotica rise to the surface as well — what appears to be a Hindi lyric weaves in and out of the pizzicato strings on "Karma Sutra" — as well as a taste or two of 1950s sci-fi soundtrack music (note the faux theremin on "Gargoyles"). Any sign that there's still new ground to cover in the tired drum'n'bass genre is welcome, and Asphalt Jungle provide about as compelling a case for that music's ongoing viability as listeners are ever likely to hear. Excellent.