Britain's Sulphur label straddles a number of musical lines, dabbling in everything from abstract beats, dubwise electronica, and acid jazz to experimental art music and twisted drum'n'bass. This compilation draws largely on the label's Parallel Meld series, which throws different artists together with the assignment of collaborating on an album; most of the material here comes from albums that already feature in the Sulphur catalog, but several tracks are previously unreleased. The resulting program is an interesting mix of the funky, the abstract, and the soothingly ambient, and includes everything from Sukyaneer's vaguely reggae-flavored "Dub Treatment Koto" to Future Pilot A.K.A. and Kim Fowley's neo-psychedelic "Night Flight to Memphis." Highlights include "Guanxi," a restrained mixture of pizzicato strings and beatbox rhythms dubbed up by Scanner and DJ Spooky, and the very funky "Mirror Image," which features exquisite turntablism from Dstar. If you're looking for something simultaneously adventurous and relaxing, this comp was made to order. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
David Toop (Performer), David Abir (Performer), SFT (Performer), Stephen Vitiello (Performer), Scannerfunk (Performer), Dstar (Performer), Ashley Wales (Performer)
