Darkel is the nom de plume of - and, indeed, title of, the debut solo album from - one JB Dunckel, by day one half of Gallic electronic pop duo Air. Initially hailed as the young princes of post-club chill-out sounds, later Air albums such as 2004's Talkie Walkie would bear the more esoteric influence of cosmic jazz, progressive rock, and the synthesiser sounds of New Age countryman Jean Michel-Jarre. It takes just a quick glance at Darkel's inner sleeve - and the picture of Dunkel posed by an analogue mixing desk in flat cap and ornate shirt, looking every inch the studio auteur - to determine this will be a work of similarly lofty, cape-clad ambition. Oh, not explicitly so: built from strings, piano, and Dunkel's soft, airy vocal, songs like "Some Men" and the Michel-Jarre-a-like "Be My Friend" seldom lose their sense of composure. But beneath the sweet sentiments of numbers like "My Own Sun" ("I don't need diamond rings/To earn my angel wings") lie the sort of deceptively complex, organic synth-and-strings symphonies that give up their depths slowly. And if that makes Darkel sound somewhat precious, luckily that's an impression neatly dispelled by the cosmic disco of "Earth", or "TV Destroy" - a slice of fuzzy pop psychedelia as endearingly immediate as "Sexy Boy". -Louis Pattison.

The way that Elisabeth Esselink, aka Solex, creates her très moderne dance music is both disarmingly simple and ingenuous. ForPick Up, her second album, the songstress holed out underneath a second-hand record store in Amsterdam for three months, venturing out only to bootleg live concerts (classical, jazz, pop) on her hand-held tape recorder. To these samples-cut-up and cleverly dispersed-were added live drum pattens and a curiously disembodied female voice, plus a few off-kilter atmospheric noises. The result is bewitching and genuinely disorientating. Tracks like the chunky "Dork At 12 O'Clock" and bewildering "That'll Be $22. 95" sound like a disco-fied, stilted take on Japanese high-voiced pop, with the surface gloss and sheen amplified to the nth degree. You could call Elisabeth the female Beck. only she's way too original for easy comparisons. [+]

Seven albums in, and if Groove Armada show no sign of handing in their chill-out crowns, Soundboy Rock suggests London's popular downbeat alchemists are more eager than ever to branch out. As the title suggests, this is an album that plays down Groove Armada's cocktail-supping Balearic side in favour of a more robust sound inspired by hip-hop, house and dub reggae. Immediate highlights are "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)", which could almost be a long-lost Madonna single of the '80s, but for the fact it features ex-Sugarbabe Mutya Buena on vocals; and the title track, a simmering reggae skank that sees Groove Armada joined by their MC, MAD, and Hard-Fi's Richard Archer on melodica. It's a surprisingly guest heavy record - also on board is Alan Donohue of The Rakes, soul queen Angie Stone, Tony Allen of The Good, The Bad, And The Queen, and Simon Lord of Simian Mobile Disco. Being old hands now, however, Groove Armada are wise not to let this celebrity cavalcade distract them from the matter at hand - that is, making bouncy, unpretentious dance music that balances a crate-digger's taste with maximum mainstream appeal. -Louis Pattison.

For a while, in the Mitsibushi Summer of 1999, Gatecrasher ruled supreme as Britain's quintessential trance superbrand. Ironically, though, as trance exploded into the mainstream in a flash of glitter, make-up, hair gel and spraypaint, the organisers of Gatecrasher began to pall at the more juvenile elements of their fanbase. Where the Gatecrasher sound was once characterised by straightforward, high-quality hard trance, National Anthems finds the brand diversifying-and, dare one say it, losing some of its keen edge. It's quickly evident from the Rabbit In The Moon mix of 'Crasher fave "Bullet In The Gun"-stripped of its Oakenfold production, and spaced out into sinister breakbeat territories-that a wall-to-wall trancefest isn't on the agenda; indeed, it's populist disco anthems like Spiller's "Groovejet", and the acid techno of Azzido Da Bass' "Doom's Night" that most notably rule the floor. Fortunately, in the depths of each disc, sterling remixers like Matt Darey work their magic on the likes of Moloko, so dedicated trance disciple won't find National Anthems a complete wash-out. Gatecrasher's fine reputation it hardly tarnished-this is still a fine mix CD. But in the competitive compilations marketplace, there is little to recommend this over the likes of say, the most recent Trance Nation. -Louis Pattison.

Beaucoup Fish is Underworld's third studio album and sees them return to form after a slightly lacklustre second LP (Second Toughest In The Infants). Not that this latest missive from the famous trio (Darren Emerson, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith) possesses the same raw energy as their debut Dubnobasswithmyheadman, but it does benefit from differences such as more experimental use of sounds, slicker production and a generally more intricate feel. The albums opener "Cups" is a case in point, a subtle, fluid grower that sees Hyde's usually excitable vocals toned down and more ensconced in the mix. The trio show that they are still fond of pumping chemical onslaughts though with the redoubtable "Push Upstairs" and other thumping club tracks like "Jumbo", "Something Like A Mama", "Kittens and Moaner". The trio have obviously decided to try a few new things out on this LP too, such as "Shudder/King of Snakes", which starts with a wonky Oriental vibe before morphing into nine minutes of drum-fuelled propulsion and heavy sounds. Hyde's voice-which comes close to a kind of rhythmic scatting here-continues to stay low for the most part (though fans can still discern his nonsensical lyrics), becoming more assertive on tracks like the mellow, beatless Skym. Elsewhere, tracks like "Bruce Lee" sees Underworld experiment with a hip hop beat and some Dadaist vocals, and with some meandering breakbeat on "Something Like a Mama", though neither track seems to come off terribly well. If anything, this album proves that Underworld are best when they stick to their classic, distinctive club sound. -Paul Sullivan.