Northwest England has been a fertile ground for psychedelic electronics long before the advent of Factory Records. And it has continued after as well. David Little and Dave Clarkson start with basic uptempo beats and then build fantastic structures around them. Even at their most experimental, however, these songs never lose their easy-going charm.

Lines of Silence The Long Way Home (Analogue Trash)

Those insouciant beats have a lot to do with that, of course. Something along the lines of a spoonful of sugar, it's always to accept the unfamiliar if it is paired with something that pleases simply. Little and Clarkson incorporate all sorts of sounds, including guitars and other analog instruments from time to time, but that added range simply adds to the intoxicating effect.

The sequencing on this set is similarly inspired, setting everything up for the 21-minute extravaganza that is "Withens Clough". That piece is kind of a grand unifying theory of the album as a whole, and it's pretty wild.

Lines of Silence manages to challenge while maintaining a cool groove. Like a comfy chair, the sound envelops and opens the mind to further opportunities. Something new seems eternally around the corner, and it always arrives with a smile. One of the best ways to eat one's musical vegetables I've heard in ages.

Jon Worley