Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

In an age where even dance music appears to have become a self-important parody of itself, it's refreshing to hear an album as diverse, thrilling and 'out there' as others can only claim to be. It helps also that there’s a trio of killer tracks in Brainfeeder, Breathe and Something Stellar, with their high-toned, high-octane sound laying out the agenda for the rest of the album. As we pulsate to the glitz, glam and drive of this soundtrack to a nightmare, we’ll stare blissfully up into a blackened night sky which only occasionally sparkles with wee gems of melody. And what a nightmare it is, too. Listen closely and you’ll get the prowling bass of Curtis Mayfield, the vampish grandeur of Diana Ross and the epileptic electronica of The Orb and Underworld. This is a full-on, heart-pounding, tension-inducing, sweat-soaked sonic journey from an artist at the peak of his powers.[Jonathan Robert Muirhead]