by John Bush
After recording a string of dance classics culminating with the pop hit &Go,& Moby released his full-length debut balancing those songs with a few decidedly inventive album tracks. Moby's melodic sense developed much quicker than other early techno producers; despite the criticisms leveled at his later direction (or lack thereof), his first album is a masterpiece of challenging, unrepetitive, beautifully programmed rave-techno. Though the familiar tracks &Drop a Beat,& &Next Is the E,& and &Go& are the highlights here, the final two tracks, &Slight Return& and &Stream,& are fine examples of early chill-out techno.