Angular Island

This trans-generational meeting of techno minds pairs veteran producer Mark Gage with next wave Detroit artist Michelle Hermann. The result of a two-week studio binge in the fall of 1998, all of the tracks are centered around Hermann's tough and eccentric drum programming. Gage adds his own flavor, recognizable from his work as Vapourspace, with deceptively simple analog sounds and atmospheric effects. The proceedings have an extremely live feel, with various elements popping in and out of the mix with a great deal of frequency. But with the exception of the ambient minimalism of "Stretch+Contort," every track is held down by a mid-tempo 4/4 beat. Perhaps the only fault of this disc is the four-year lag time between conception and release. With techno styles mutating once a year, much of the material sounds a bit dated. But regardless, it is an easy ride for those who like their techno muscular yet find most loop-based tracks boring.