'Collapse Of The Wave Function' sees Ed DMX ditch his teen idol image and SH101 shoulder strap in favour of a textbook covering the Heisenberg-Kennard-Robertson inequalities principle. OK so the concept is not new - Drexciya's 'Molecular Enhancement' EP took us on a similar journey into the depths of particle physics - but who's complaining? It's no coincidence maybe that there's an abundance of dark, Drexciyan soundscapes here. While 'Maximillian', 'Bad Sector II' and 'Tonight (Track)' give a new interpretation to this minimal elec-tech concept, the beautifully mysterious 'When The Going Gets Weird' openly pays homage to Drexciya's 'Bubble Metropolis' and Doppereffekt's 'Gesamtkunstwerk'.

At times the sound is very cinematic - the sinister interlude 'Probability Waves' would be at home in a sci-fi B-movie, while 'Aurora's distorted piano tones make perfect spooky incidental music.

But it's not all dark and moody - a retro synth sound, subtle pads and light-hearted melody create a dreamy glow with 'Metronome'. The brooding ambience and mechanical beat of 'Byzantium' are followed by the lovely analogue sounds of post-rave chill out anthem 'Jet Lag'.

In short, Ed has produced an unusual collection of tracks - all highly listenable, but for entirely different reasons than his tounge-in-cheek tales of heartbreak and deceit, and his ghetto bass monsters. Most importantly he's followed a concept without compromising on quality - it's considered and well executed.

By Suzie.

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