Rewind

Multimedia experts Hexstatic undoubtedly have a special interest in communication, so it's no surprise the duo uses its first LP (recorded for their pals at Ninja Tune) to poke fun at the continually confusing digital age. After an intro wherein celebrity announcer Don Pardo reassures audiences that technical difficulties are being attended to for nigh on a full minute, the group launches into "Communication Break-Down," with scattered samples -- modem-connect noise, wrong numbers, answering machine messages, and various interference -- serving as a bed for Coldcut-style turntablist trip-hop. On the next track, "Deadly Media," a parade of random Japanese vocal snippets gradually organize themselves around rigid 808 breakbeats for a fascinating, hilarious track. Like their award-winning "Timber" video for Coldcut, which chopped and spliced visuals in a similar manner that turntablism does to music, Rewind makes complete sense; on these tracks, the percussion lines and beats aren't the only elements serving the rhythm. Though the production is solid, many of the other tracks here use some overly familiar blueprints -- especially for Ninja Tune artists -- from kung-fu samples (on a track actually named "Ninja Tune,") to video game electro ("Vector,") and even the age-old favorite: porn-film samples ("The Horn"). Good music abounds, but Hexstatic proves much more pioneering in the visual realm than the musical. (One place they really shine is on the second multimedia disc, which offers an excellent video for each track and a style of choosing videos that will warm the hearts of Battletech fans.) ~ John Bush, All Music Guide