Since its launch in 1997 Trevor Jackson's Output has inhabited the land that was originally ploughed by labels such as Warp and progressively tightened its grip on the left field techno flag.
'Channel 1' maps out the lable's territory, opening aptly enough with their first signing, Fridge, 'Anglepoised' introduces clattering hi-hats that role into deep bass that sinks to the pit of your stomach, before a disturbing b-line meanders in. A deliciously hypnotic track that gradually removes control of your senses.
Fourtet's 'Calamine' is orchestrated in symphonic moves. It builds around a clipped break beat and launches into a subtle aural assault that eventually flips into a satisfying four-four kick drum, laid heavily with samples – breaking occasionally into 'Revolution NO 9' radio turnstile trickery. Eventually it settles into a funky techno groove.
Taken from their debut album, 'Audiophilliac', 7 Hurtz's 'Stokers Motor' works on the duo's exploration into soulful funky electro, while Sonovac's screwed-up Berlin Cabaret piece, 'High On Tech', really could go anywhere and does.
Gramme's 'Like U' introduces a Poly Styrene vocal line to a Frankie Goes To Hollywood pumping disco bass and chucks them both through Aphex Twinn's food mixer.
LB contributes a cyboid re-working of James Brown's classic 'Superbad'. It takes on the basic rhythm, adds piercing snares, chops the beats and works up a pleasing cacophony of bleeps and throws in a robotic voice effect, which claims to have "soul".
Black Strobe, whose previous releases have included the classically squelchy 'Paris Acid', here provide a more Dutch/ German sounding Euro keyboard line that builds into an early Human League workout. Icarus' UL-6 creates one of his sci-fi planet-scapes, while Circlesquare wind the set up with their moody vision of electronica, 'Distance After'.
'Channel 1' is a voyage to a very distant planet.
