Detroit's Robert Hood will always inspire devotion amongst techno fans.
Alongside Jeff Mills, his 1994 EP 'Minimal Nation' helped blueprint minimal techno.
Since then albums like 'Nighttime World Vol 1' have won him fans outside techno's purist circles, with its jazzy touches and warm depth. Hood's even - gasp - admitted he respects hip hop producers like DJ Premier.
'Wire to Wire' then, is Hood's second LP for Britain's Peacefrog records. While 'Point Blank' was closer to dancefloor releases of old, with a harder 4/4 feel, this new LP breaks new ground for Hood.
Imagine 'Nighttime World' without the jazz, DJ Premier minus samples or 'Minimal Nation's' organic funk without the 4/4 drive. That's where 'Wire to Wire' is at. String-lead and beat orientated, the LP is rhythmically rooted in the worlds of hip hop, electronica and deep house, while sonically retaining Hood's pure Detroit palette.
An albums like this will gain Hood fans beyond the confines of his normal audience. Tracks like 'Interior Suspect' engulf the ear in glorious arpeggios.
All the while, however, you can't but help feel that ground like this was already well covered in the early '90s by people like Carl Craig, Black Dog and Stasis. But that's a harsh viewpoint.
Devoid of samples, removed from the outside world, this is a good electronic album on its own merits. It's well worth a listen for that reason alone.
