I brainstormed the following little experiment: take the CD's that are in my travel case, and comment on each of them using exactly twenty words. Can I possibly have anything worthwhile to say without the use of run-on sentences? Let's see ...

Vapaa Muurari -- Uusitalo. Live set featuring fluid minimal techno very much in the Mike Ink style, as well as standard Pole knock-off material.

Global Communication -- Remotion. They made one of the best ambient albums ever, and this remix compilation isn't far behind. Where are they now?

Laika -- Good Looking Blues. Poor Laika never get any attention, probably because they defy pigeonholing so well. At least twenty minutes too long, though.

Kraftwerk -- Concert Classics. I can't believe the legendary recluses gave this an official go-ahead. That's no knock against the quality of the music.

P.A.L. -- M@rix. Ant-Zen can do no wrong. Dancing to rhythmic noise, I'm convinced, requires slightly unstable brain chemistry, thus curtailing it's popularity.

Primal Scream -- XTRMNTR. Three years on, this still rocks like nobody's business. "Evil Heat" is good, but can't hold a candle to this.

Sonic Youth -- Goo. The same formula they perfected with "Daydream Nation", but missing a certain spark. They'll never top DN, but that's OK.

Bardo Pond -- Big Laughing Jym. A missing link between Slint, grunge, and their current stuff. In other words, they weren't as "out there" in 1995.

Flowchart -- Multi-Personality Tabletop Vacation. It's scarcely left my carrying case since I got it. It works any day or time, with anybody in the vicinity.

Richie Hawtin -- DE9 Closer To the Edit. I don't view it as the classic it's reported to be. I'm probably spoiled by his infinitely harder live sets.