Latest CD releases reviewed

VITALIC
OK Cowboy Different/PIAS
****

Thanks to such electronic masterblasters as Poney and La Rock, French producer Pascal Arbez has amassed a considerable reputation as one who knows how to fashion tracks that really kick out the jams. Four years on from those tracks, Arbez has produced an album which sees him expanding his range of expertise. Of course, the razor-sharp, wibbly-wobbly shocks and tweeters that permeated Poney are still on call, but Arbez has found room in his repertoire for other pace-setters. The Past, for instance, is a sad-eyed ballad for heartbroken robots, Arbez's voice filtered into a wash of melancholic angst, while the tough, funky rush on Woo is indicative of the strides which the producer has taken in the past while. An album with a unique energy and perspective, OK Cowboy may be one to bet the ranch on. www.vitalic.org Jim Carroll

CHYMERA
Everybody Dies . . . Even Horses Iterate
****

Irish electronic music producer Brendan "Chymera" Gregory has become a prolific name on the local scene via a rake of compilation credits and live supports. But while many other rising Irish producers lack the wherewithal and often confidence to take the next logical step towards a full-length album, Gregory has no such qualms about his abilities or ambitions. Everybody Dies . . . Even Horses is a wonderfully pitched, supremely assured piece of work that nips and tucks all manner of electronic shades and sounds into a highly satisfying album. Gregory is at his best when he stirs his cauldron of deep melodies, dark rhythms and intricate textures into unexpected blends. It's clear from the brooding, statuesque Moment in Time and the downtown Detroit shuffle of Chamber Zen that Gregory's future designs will also be worth examining. www.chymera.org Jim Carroll