Music Is A Hungry Ghost

The nebulous nature of To Rococco Rot's aural odyssey was best summed up by the Saint Etienne title, The Sound Of Water, which the industrious Germans co-produced last year. The nicely titled Music is A Hungry Ghost sees them swap sound notes with New York DJ and musician I-Sound on yet another long-playing showcase of eclectic electronica.

Initially, it makes for a disorientating yet sometimes engaging listen, somewhat similar in mood and ambience to the sexily frozen industrial Euro-zone wasteland which Stefan Schnieder and company call home. 'How We Never Went to Bed' sounds exactly what you'd imagine an insomniac trainspotter's doodlings to sound like, if you're into that sort of thing of course.

Due to an over reliance on Casio and Yamaha manufactured technology, the unexpected arrival of composer and violinist Alexander Balanescu on 'From Dream to Daylight' is very, very welcome. Best known for his work with the Pet Shop Boys and Kate Bush, his haunting contributions also light up 'Along the Route'. Despite such highlights, Music Is A Hungry Ghost is ultimately too claustrophobic and unfocused to be ultimately rewarding. Despite the very pretty titles, this is frustrating stuff which will even leave the electronica lovers hungry for something with a bit more bite.