Plug – Back On Time

Luke Vibert's prolific output over the last two decades is such that the West Country producer's latest release suggests that even he has lost track. Back On Time, a collection of jungle and drum and bass records unearthed from long-forgotten DATs labelled '1995-98', retains the warmth of the sample-based analogue production of that era, and yet the album has matured with rather more grace than its saggy-arsed peers.

Feeling So Special, Back On Time's most immediately satisfying offering, should resonate with UK garage enthusiasts, but repeated listens reveal that Vibert's furtive crate-digging extends some way beyond identifiable EDM territory. Showing a glimpse of Vibert's hip-hop leaning alias Wagon Christ, the title track's swinging jazz bass and wistful strings pacify Back On Time's snarling tempo, a trick employed across the album with consistent success. While there's no way of telling how the record would have fared upon a 90s release, Back On Time is undisputably deserving of an Indian summer. [Ray Philp]