ZANG TUMMM TUMB ARTICLES “the first draft of history”

ART OF NOISE
THE DRUM AND BASS COLLECTION
China (11tks/73 mins)

ART Of Noise’s brilliant “Close (To The Edit)” single way back when — all jerky cut-ups and quirky samples, yet it robotically funked — was my first breakdancing soundtrack. And last — I broke my arm. Down Metalheadz t’other week, people were breakdancing to Doc Scott. Thus, this album proves that the Art Of Noise are still cutting edge, in a funny, cyclical kinda way (according to Bullox’s Theory Of Circular Retro-activity).

A remix album with some top drum’n’bassers like Lemon D, J Majik, PFM and Aquasky overhauling some of their back catalogue is a respect thing for the pioneering, faceless ZTT weirdness (although wasn’t Trevor Horn involved?) which predated electro, techno and ambient house, too (yawn). Cool stuff on it, as it goes, with none of it bearing much trace of the originals.

Tom-boy Jones is absent on “Kiss”, so you have to do his jumper-in-a-washing machine dance yourself. La-la.

CARL LOBEN