Pete Namlook Planetarium 2

‘Start Process’ opens weirdly, and appropriately, with what sounds like effects from industrial machinery. Delicate percussive detail, which sounds tremendous through headphones, fills out the track and a contemporary groove slowly develops. The industrial edge remains prevalent which makes it difficult to get to grips with, and I found myself craving for a snatch of recognisable melody or traditional sequential references. ‘Urgent Message’ offers Russian and English commentary and very weird effects, while ‘MIR Station - Selektor’ sustains the strangely hypnotic brew and contrasts this with a dance floor beat. It is a superb rhythm but the accompanying electronics are discordant and difficult to live with. ‘Space Casino’ changes the formula little, though there is a brief melodic interlude which is juxtaposed with Kraftwerk vocal samples ala ‘Computer World’. ‘6 Beta 9 Answer’ is possibly the most successful outing so far, with the stabbing samples and beats somehow gelling more successfully on this track.

‘Spirit Preparation’ is an overdue spaced out drifter and is an impressive collage of moods and effects, with state-of-the-art dynamics and sound quality. ‘Space Ballet’ is completely off the wall, discordant piano and strange voice samples, and the final track ‘225’ is still full of strangeness but sounds relatively accessible compared to track 8.