artist: Pitch Black country of origin: New Zealand style(s): Ambient dub, breakbeat, ethno ambient, techno essential releases: Ape To Angel (Kog Records/Waveform)

In the new century dub, it seems, can be almost any instrumental bass-heavy electronica. The press release for this outstanding second album by New Zealand duo Pitch Black calls it "cross-genre dub beats and mind-expanding sounds" and that's good enough for me.

"Flex" and the exquisite title track recall the spacey lushness and techno precision of Global Communication and Artificial Intelligence-era Warp Records releases. Relaxed, techy pads and melodic pulses unfold and bounce around your speakers, spiraling off into slowly decaying echoes. It's the big dubby bass element, however, that sets this music apart from the Warp universe and gives these tracks their distinctively warm surface. There's plenty of variety too. "Lost In The Translation" is driven by a catchy Arabian drum groove but cleverly disguises it with a reggae pulse and a distorted tribal vocal. "Big Trouble Upstairs" is a progressive breakbeat stormer, building slowly to a dancefloor intensity by adding layers and repeating themes. The most ambient track here is the gently grooving "Empty Spaces Missing Units" - imagine 21st century lounge music for planetary fly-bys.

Melodically there's nothing obvious on Ape To Angel and it's not the most accessible ambient-tech dub around. But that doesn't diminish its greatness. These tracks make you work and pay attention before surrendering their charms - and the rewards are well worth it.

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