Nighttime World Part 2

It's been half a decade since Robert Hood's first Nighttime World installment. In the interim, the minimal sound the former UR member pioneered on benchmark releases like 'Minimal Nation' and 'Internal Empire' has been squeezed dry of all innovation by hordes of copyists, but the jazzy, musical leanings on Nighttime World are still relevant to forward thinking dance music. It's not surprising then that Hood's mutant funk is confined to two, albeit imaginative outings on the second volume, namely the organ filled groove of ' Stepping Out' which comes on like a Detroit version of 'Plastic Dreams', and Hood's re-invention of deep techno, 'Weight Of The World'. Although these arrangements are both worth the price alone, 'World 2' proves that Hood also excels at slower arrangements, where his composition skills and ability to blend styles really shine. For example, 'The Key To Midnight' mixes jazzy, instrumental hip-hop with 80s synth pop, 'Untitled' and 'Dark Room' fuse lush strings with almost classical piano tinkling and 'After Hours', 'Formula Galore' and 'Still' are deep, atmospheric pieces that defy categorisation. A musical, spiritual experience, the work of an unassuming genius.