astralwerks/source

As the Underdog--recording on labels such as MoWax or his own Output Recordings--Trevor Jackson put out a number of excellent, although sometimes difficult, recordings of mutant hiphop flavored dirty beats. And then he goes and pulls an about-face with this Playgroup moniker.

What's one possible antithesis of "dirty beats," you ask? Why, disco! Disco with song structures and the appeal of artists both obscure and popular, from the indie scene and otherwise!

Collaborating with the vocalist Luca Santucci, whose last major appearance of note was on Leila's album on Rephlex, Jackson unveils the glamorous and wonderful "Number One." In an ideal world of accessible charts, the titular phrase would have some grounding in truth, but alas, we suspect Jackson is doomed to merely have an underground hit on his hands here. How sad!

Even Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna is taken for a ride on the dance-machine in the strangely appealing "Bring It On." And before you know it, the album presents us with a cover of Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," as vocalized by Shinehead. Sounding much like Tricky's recent cover of Nirvana's "Something in the Way", with its utilization of dubby beats and ragga vocals to create an unnerving atmosphere to an all-too-familiar song, the song is an exciting rendition of an eighties pop classic.r's true coming-out party.

Hell, even an old chap like Chevy Chase might be pleased with this release.