Clone Aqualung Series Holland Vinilo y CD

Review: Gerald Donald's second album as Arpanet, Quantum Transposition, has long been hard to come by, not least because the label it first came out on back in 1995, Rephlex, ceased trading a few years ago. Fortunately, Clone has decided to reissue it on their Drexciya-related Aqualung Series. Now expanded to contain an extra, previously unreleased track from the same sessions, the album ditches the far-sighted electro of its predecessor in favour of an even more out-there, early years of the Internet-inspired experimental ambient trip (with occasional forays into abstract IDM). It's a classic of its type, balancing the glacial, intergalactic, and far-sighted electronics that Donald has long been known for, with darker, odder and more esoteric sounds.

Review: Having previously mined Drexciya's back catalogue for four superb compilations (the Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller series), Clone has decided to reissue the Detroit electro legends' final studio album, 2002's Grava 4. It remains a superb set, moving between deep space explorations (the superbly atmospheric ambience of "Cascading Celestial Giants"), rolling, intergalactic electro ("Drexcyen Star Chamber"), intense dancefloor work outs ("Drexcyen R.E.S.T Principle"), glistening IDM ("Hightech Nomads"), and fusions of Sheffield bleep aesthetics and Cybotron style rhythms ("Gravity Waves"). In other words, you'll struggle to find a better electro album. If you don't own an original copy, you should grab this reissue sharpish.

Review: Released in 2002 as the Drexciya project was forced towards an untimely finish with the passing of James Stinson, Grava 4 remains a high-point in the legendary Detroit electro pioneers' catalogue. As ever, the magic of the record lies in the balance between experimental, provocative sound design and fully physical, instinctive machine funk. Stinson and Gerald Donald were able to say a great deal within the parameters of their project, and Grava 4 remains leagues ahead of what most people think electro can be. Just marvel at the likes of 'Gravity Waves', which feels like the truest representation of the genre without ever following a pre-existing formula.