artist: Pitch Black country of origin: New Zealand style(s): Ambient dub, breakbeat, ethno ambient, techno essential releases: Ape To Angel (2003, Kog Records/Waveform) Rude Mechanicals (2007, Dubmission)

In the new century it seems dub can be almost any instrumental bass-heavy electronica. I recall the media release for one album by New Zealand duo Pitch Black called their music "cross-genre dub beats and mind-expanding sounds", a description which turns out to be right on the money.

Melodically there's nothing deperately catchy on their third album 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. There's more techno flavour here than a lot of other ambient dub; "Flex" and the exquisite title track recall the spacey lushness and techno precision of both Global Communication and the Artificial Intelligence releases from Warp Records. Relaxed, techy pads and melodic pulses unfold and bounce around the speakers, spiraling off into slowly decaying echoes. It's the big dubby bass element, however, that 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 quietest track here is the gently grooving "Empty Spaces Missing Units" - imagine 21st century lounge music for planetary fly-bys.

Rude Mechanicals is cut from the same cloth and is also superb. A higher melody count and a little less abrasion makes it perhaps a better introduction than the band's previous release.

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