artist: Blu Mar Ten country of origin: UK style(s): Ambient pop, drum'n'bass, trip hop, techno, soundtrack, orchestral essential releases: Producer 03 (Good Looking, 2002) The Six Million Names Of God  (Exceptional, 2003)

Coming from a production duo better known for their more uptempo drum 'n' bass tunes, Blu Mar Ten's The Six Million Names Of God is an unexpected and deeply trippy shot out of the...well, blue. Describing an album as being like a movie in your head is hardly an original way of talking about music but it really does apply here. It's also their first official album. They used to release singles in the the 1990's on LTJ Bukem's label Good Looking Records, the all-conquering drum 'n' bass imprint which subsequently angered the duo by releasing the compilation Producer 03 without their permission and thus sparking a messy legal separation. Too bad because it's a fine atmospheric genre record and is well worth seeking out.

The Six Million Names Of God, however, is their masterpiece and what a wondrous and mysterious thing it is. Sounds range from the folksy Latin-flavoured guitar of the opening track "Home Videos" to deeply textured ambient pop landscapes, crisp beats, Eastern drones and weird cinematic interludes. It moves along like a surreal book or movie: you know its good, you just don't quite know what it's all about. Take the "The Date" for instance. It's awash with gorgeously subtle keys, orchestral washes, saxophone and a dreamy, dislocated female vocal. It captures the album's richly melodic essence, yet you couldn't call it typical because no one track here sounds like any of the others. The album is truly a seamless experience, generally mellow and packed with detail. There's no gap here between the acoustic and electronic worlds: it has disappeared completely and utterly. All in all, one of the most compelling downtempo releases of the new millennium's first decade.

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