There are those who disrespect American drum'n'bass, calling it derivative and boring. They aren't always wrong. But
1.8.7 has turned such criticism on its head by making three albums of world-class drum'n'bass for the American Liquid Sky label (a label which, in itself, stands as an effective refutation of British drum'n'bass snobbery). This, her third album, includes the contents of two previously released 12" EPs, and gets its title from the fact that each track is named after a major U.S. city. There doesn't seem to be any particular rhyme or reason to the tune-title matchup -- "Detroit" isn't based on a house beat, nor is "Miami" particularly bass-heavy -- but however random the titles may be, the music is consistently interesting and the beats are guaranteed to loosen teeth. Highlights include the flanged and funky "Pittsburgh" and the jittery, slightly creepy "New York." Incidentally, this will apparently be the last outing by
1.8.7 under that name. From now on, she'll be known simply as Jordana. ~ Rick Anderson