Versebridgechorus is the second full-length album from downbeat, relaxed groovers, Kinobe, best known for their chill-out anthem "Slip Into Something More Comfortable" which appeared on countless compilations and even a well-known beer commercial. Versebridgechorus is just as easily paced as their debut Soundphilles but has a great deal more acoustic instrumentation and soothing vocals like the opening track "Butterfly". A standout tune to rival their previous aforementioned standard is "Having A Moment", a slinky wah-guitar groove that drifts along under the sound of running water without becoming a new age cliché. With a wealth of downbeat electronica being released in 2001 from new, aspiring artists, it is important to remember that past-masters Kinobe were there some time ago. -Georgina Collins.

Headline-grabbing personal upheavals turn into introspective surges on Homogenic, the third album by Icelandic singer Björk. Driven inward after a bizarre year accented by a much publicised mail bomb, airport cat fight and brawl between ex-lovers Tricky and Goldie, Björk gets lost in a wash of strings and minimalist techno patterns on her latest outing. The eccentricity and stylistic schizophrenia of Debut and Post have been cast away in favour of darker, more sublime edginess. Filled with songs about paranoia, heartbreak and lost faith, Homogenic not only showcases more mature themes, but a more uniform mood. Notch that up to Björk's decision to produce the album herself. Aside from a few nominal collaborations with Mark Bell of obscure techno outfit LFO and the Icelandic String Octet, this is the purest representation of the artist's vision. Little did we know that such a quirky personality would have such a bleak world view. Homogenic is almost too heavy to take in sitting, and songs, like the grating "Pluto", are downright unlistenable. But there are moments of inspiration that burn through the dark clouds, particularly on the contemplative "Joga" and the uplifting "Bachelorette". -Aidin Vaziri.

It's no surprise that Morcheeba's fourth album Charango has been given a summer release to catch the chillout boom. Since bursting into the charts and national consciousness with 1998's sophomore album Big Calm, the trio have carved a veritable niche as purveyors of evocative nuevo-lounge and dreamy ambience. While 2000's Fragments Of Freedom saw the South Londoners' first tentative step out of the "coffee table" pigeonhole, Charango is the sound of them relaxing, infusing influences such as hip-hop, country and cinematic scores into a joyous blend of humour, romance and soothing melancholy. There are vintage moments such as the lush lethargy of "Slow Down" and the string-laden single "Otherwise" but some of the most interesting tracks are the result of collaborations. Having written "What New York Couples Fight About" and "Undress Me Now", Lambchop frontman Kurt Wagner lends his achingly-emotive vocal to the former, while providing Skye with some charming lyrical raunch on the latter; "Using Your Mind / Imagine Our Skin / Joined At The Hip / Joined From Within". "Women Lose Weight" meanwhile is far less romantic; featuring rapper Slick Rick's dulcet tones, it's a tongue-in-cheek tale of a husband driven to murder by his overweight wife. Recorded soon after Rick was released from prison for shooting his cousin, it's of dubious taste if nonetheless entertaining. Adventurous and inspired yet dripping with Morcheeba's trademark languid rhythms and tranquil melodies, Charango is at the very least a return to form and arguably their best work to date. -Christopher Barrett.

Ever since they were credited with inventing progressive house with their first single "Not Forgotten" in 1991, Leftfield have been earmarked as pioneers. Their debut album was a glorious fruition of their talents, delivering on all fronts and sealing their place in dance music history. Effortlessly weaving intoxicating rhythms and sublime melodies around the diverse vocals of former Sex Pistol John Lydon, reggae toaster Earl Sixteen and indie ice maiden Toni Halliday, Leftism is a scintillating journey through all the planes of club culture. From the interstellar dancehall vibes of "Release The Pressure" to the languid splendour of "Melt" and the peerless dancefloor dynamics of "Song Of Life", Paul Daley and Neil Barnes prove themselves jacks of all trades and masters of them all. "Make room for me," screamed Lydon on "Open Up"; the rest of the dance music world duly stepped aside to let the Leftfield juggernaut through. -Ed Potton.

Right from the punchy, Big Beat vibe of Pressure Point, it's obvious that the Freestylers are intending on causing a ruckus. But then what else did we expect from Aston Harvey and Matt Cator, the duo who slapped us all silly with their hip-hop & raga-inspired debut bomb We Rock Hard a few years ago? Keeping with the hard-hitting breakbeat and bassline combos that got their previous tracks played on dancefloors worldwide,Pressure Point offers up plenty more sampladelic funk food. The opening cut "Now Is The Time", and speaker-shaking tracks like "Bass Odyssey" are a prime example of the urgent, rump-shaking sound the duo are capable of creating alone, though for most of the album they utilise the raggafied vocals of Petra, TenorFly and Navigator. Overall, there's a constant breakbeat pressure maintained throughout though the duo have included a few downtempo hip hop and reggae style moods to break things up. If it's surprises or genre-busting experimentation you're looking for, you won't find it here. But if it's block-rocking party time sounds you crave, this is a damn good place to visit. -Paul Sullivan.