RAMJAC CORPORATION Vinilo y CD

Review: Here's a genuine slice of history: a rare recording of a live jam from ambient techno explorers The Irresistible Force (AKA legendary chill-out room DJ and shiny space suit enthusiast Mixmaster Morris) and Ramjac Corporation (AKA Paul Chivers), which took place at gallery, shop and intimate acid house venue The Brain in Soho, way back in September 1990. It's a brilliant time capsule of a time when the template of ambient techno was yet to be fully fleshed out and sees the two performers take it in turns to combine immersive ambient synth sounds and hallucinatory electronics with oddball samples and, more significantly, basslines and drum machine rhythms inspired by the Chicago House and UK mutations of Detroit techno. An important and entertaining musical time capsule.

Review: Hailing from the mists of the early 90s UK techno scene, Ramjac Corporation's "Cameroon Massif!" epitomises everything great about the anything goes spirit of the scene prior to firm genre boundaries being established. Emotional Rescue have done the right thing and brought the vintage curio back to light, and what a return it is. While it shows its age, it sounds in fine fettle, all rolling breaks, trancey zaps and mysterious vocal hooks that positively draw you into a transcendental rave headspace. Both the "Massive" and "Massing" mixes are essential, but then you also get the added bonus of a live version from a reunion gig back in 2009.