Sheldon Thompson records under various aliases for different labels, the most prominent of those being pan/tone for his Substatic and Background releases, and for Onitor/Kompakt he uses the name
Gringo Grinder. Whatever the alias, there really isn't much differentiating Thompson's instantly identifiable sound; crisp hi-hat programming over electro-techno beats and quirky samples that are every bit as welcome in a smoke-filled nightclub as they are in a home listening environment. Vocal contributions from Amy Fletcher and Ada only further reinforce that notion; especially Ada's vocals on "Sweet Kiss," which could give any popular electroclash group du jour a serious run for its money. It's not as genre-bending or groundbreaking into the territories of pop and techno as the successful meldings of people like
Michael Mayer, Ada, and
Matthew Dear, but
Breakfast Included comes close to the mark on several cuts. ~ Rob Theakston