The final installment in the
Bip-Hop Generation series is also one of the best. Again, it presents music from six artists with different styles, expanding the portrait of turn-of-the-century electronica sketched in the previous five volumes. The disc opens with a ten-minute piece by Alejandra & Aeron -- a daring move, since the Spanish duo is more often compared to sound artists and collagists than electro producers. "Listening to Radio Rioja Before Going to Sleep" is a dreamy piece lightly reminiscent of
Fennesz, but 100 percent pure Alejandra & Aeron.
Scanner may be the biggest name on this comp, but his two tracks lack excitement, however sleek and elegant they may be. The same does not apply to Bittonic, an up-and-coming Danish girl who packs a sensual scare in her glitchy tunes. Pansonic's
Ilpo Väisänen delivers three cuts. More danceable than the material on
Asuma, his first solo CD, they still have the mischievousness that makes his music special. Another humorous contributor is the trio
Battery Operated, whose cut-and-paste tunes borrow something from the spirit of Stock, Hausen & Walkman. The disc concludes with "nr_11," an assault of live electronics courtesy of Angel, a duo consisting of
Väisänen and
Dirk Dresselhaus (aka
Schneider TM). This onslaught of harsh noise and power electronics is the exact opposite of Alejandra & Aeron's delicate opener, which makes perfect sense when you think of it. Recommended. ~ François Couture