by Alex Henderson
After recording nothing but EPs, the Dub Pistols delivered their first full-length album with Point Blank, one of late 1998's more noteworthy examples of electronica. The thing that makes the Pistols' electronica/big beat more substantial than similar efforts is their broad-minded outlook and willingness to incorporate a variety of influences. While a lot of late-1990s electronica could wear thin quickly (especially outside of a club setting), the less predictable Pistols manage to hold one's attention for a longer period and usually avoid becoming boring or one-dimensional. Point Blank kicks into high gear with the infectious, Public Enemy-influenced rap/dance number &Unique Freak& before drawing on everything from acid house and techno (&Blaze the Room&) to ska (&Cyclone&) and dubwise reggae (&Ghetto&). To be sure, this is club music first and foremost, but even those who could have cared less about going to a rave could sit down and admire the Pistols' efforts to avoid electronica's limitations. They don't avoid them altogether -- toward the end of the CD, the tracks start to sound mechanical and impersonal. But part of the time, Point Blank provides a memorable and risk-taking visit to clubland.