artist: Shpongle country of origin: UK style(s): Ambient trance/techno, psy trance, ethno-ambient, world beat essential releases: Are You Shpongled? (1998, Twisted) Tales Of The Inexpressible (2001, Twisted)

Simon Posford (aka Hallucinogen) was one of the first psychedelic trance producer/composers to go beyond tossing off just an occasional downtempo track among an otherwise uptempo dancefloor repertoire. On his Shpongle projects he and partner Raja Ram explore downtempo sounds across whole albums, though still with occasional full-throttle moments. Shpongle have pioneered an exotic freestyle sound with roots all over the place - psy trance, 70's Euro ambient, African and Eastern percussion and the thick, tuneful grooves the form the basis of Jamaican dub.

The debut Are You Shpongled is a prototype of sorts for chill-out music from the psy scene and has inspired many including Entheogenic and various names featured on the Global Psychedelic Chill Out series from Spiritzone Records. Each track on Are You Shpongled is different from the last. Melody is never far away and Raja Ram's flute playing is sweet and beautifully timed, never lapsing into over-extended soloing. "Beyond Closed Eyelids" is a brilliant push-and-pull marriage of the frantic, layered melodies typical of Posford's dancefloor productions with deeper, contemplative passages of synth chords and flute. The 20-minute "And The Day Turned Into Night" is similarly dynamic except this time with the clattering, hyperactive patterns of drum 'n' bass played off against opening and closing passages of gently droning Eastern sounds.

Tales Of The Inexpressible is even better although initially it may sound downright shocking to those who took the serious tone of the first album to be essentially Shpongle. The second album's feel is sometimes completely different. Tracks like "A New Way To Say Hooray" and "My Head Feels Like Frisbee" are full of quirky humour and celebratory melodies. Tales is also even more wildly eclectic than its predecessor with a free-for-all spirit established straight away on the uptempo flamenco guitar grooves of the opening "Dorset Perception". Despite all the light-heartedness, however, there is depth aplenty and the album successfully works on a number of levels.  It showcases Posford's quite astonishing programming and arranging abilities, especially his gift for morphing through different time signatures and drum patterns and leaving you guessing where the transitions actually occur. There are also layers upon layers of sonic detail to uncover on repeated listens. Tales is melodic electronica at its most creative - unmissible.

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