HinweiseBefore they turned into the revolving-door label that now houses the likes of Maximo Park and Jamie Lidell, Nightmares On Wax always seemed a bit out of place on Warp; sandwiched between the shrapnel digitalis of Aphex, Squarepusher et al. with only Jimi Tenor for company. How times have changed, for NOW (aka George Evelyn) seems more representative of Warp than many of their roster - combining his soulful grooves, extensive Hammond collection and keen ear for a melancholic-string section into new LP 'In A Space Outta Sound' (get it...?). Falling somewhere between the jaunty pop-styled fare of 'Mind Elevation' (which, lest we forget, sound-tracked a Lunnpoly advert) and the more down-tempo mood of 'Carboot Soul', E.A.S.E. seems happy to allow the blunted predilection of 'Smoker's Delight' to hang where it is - focusing on a 1970's vibe that (stylistically) isn't a million miles from Blockhead's recent crate-digging excursions. Opening with 'Passion', we're treated to some of the string articulated solipsism which made 'Les Nuits' so poignant - albeit with a distinct swagger that makes it a far less reflective beast, an outlook shared on the textbook NOW of 'The Sweetest'. Elsewhere, 'You Wish' sounds like a lost soul-instrumental, 'Deepdown' plunders the tropicalia for inspiration, whilst 'Me!' integrates a hair-in-the-air guitar without disrupting the wine-bar mood. What do you do if you see a spaceman? Park in it man...
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