by Rob Theakston
These 12 compositions from the Deep Chord duo were allegedly released before (but not to the public) and have been compiled here for the very first time. The best thing about this compilation, though, is that they do what they do right, and they do it well. It's as if Basic Channel clan has re-emerged from their self imposed hibernation, moved to a building down on Gratiot avenue, and reinvented themselves with another alias. Yes, it's hypnotic. Yes, it's relaxing, minimal, dubbed-out techno guaranteed to cleanse your soul. It is all the things would expect. What's interesting is you can hear the refinement and progression of their emulation from track to track, and it gets better as the disc goes on, almost to the point where they start adding elements of their own to the mix to make their tracks stand out. These nuances only get better with the future releases (which are vinyl only as of late 2001) and are essential to anyone who is fond of this particular sound.