DCantu

Cantu's electro-heavy sound is fleshed out here and while still lean enough for dance floors, it makes bolder moves into atmospheric and melodic territory. The A side, ''Some Kind Of Strange...,'' begins with long synth strains before one of his signature overdriven drum workouts immediately punches through the lush spectral melody. Cantu runs through the patterns on his 808, weaving a sort of broken beat track that cruises through acidic space time. On the flipside you're treated to the electro/freestyle jam, ''A Space Age Function.'' There aren't many surprises here nor is there any need for them: just pure and grimy electro joy...right down to the pitched down vocal sample and octave-hopping bassline. ''September,'' the beatless coda, is an echo from a childhood spent in dark cinemas with the sounds of Carpenter and Howarth. Tinkling FM bells dot the layers of rich ethereal pads and you can practically hear the clattering of the projector somewhere behind you in the dark.

• 1 Some Kind Of Strange
• 2 A Space Age Function
• 3 September