Tricky
Back to Mine (DMC BAKCD14)

Less chilled-out and a good deal sexier than most of the other Back to Mine discs (nearly all of which are excellent), Tricky's benefits from a seamless flow provided by some truly audacious cross-fades. The tracklist is typically diverse, but it's the way Tricky weaves the songs together that makes this one stand out.

Nice to see Robert Smith given worshipful props in the liner notes – "Lullaby" bravely kicks off the disc, always a pleasure to hear, but even better for the slight butterfly-stomach thrill as it fades into the less-familiar but similarly kick-ass creepy "Here We Ride" (a Tricky collaboration with Radanna).

This, into Rakim's "My Melody," another fresh choice, brilliantly segued into a slightly sped-up "Mirror in the Bathroom" by The Beat. So far, recognizable terrain from my own collection, but much less clunky than my usual iTunes mixes.

Ping, pang, pong … Dr. John, Morphine, Los Buzzcocks, Le Tigre, Gregory Isaac's superfly "Night Nurse," then Kat Cross with "Symphony for Irony" … wild, unexpected, wonderful. I didn't know that one, but it knocked me on my ass with its delicious thump and the line "I could kill you with my brain".

Kate Bush's "Eat the Music" – yes! Keep in mind that's '93 Kate Bush, too. Again, nice to see someone with a bit more credibility than me giving a shout-out for some "uncool" artists.

Chet Baker's "My Funny Valentine" is boldly mixed in and out, adding to the seduction instead of stopping the party (as in my clumsy attempt to get a Clifford Brown tune to sit beside Luke Vibert recently). This, into another unknown gem, Liz Densmore's "Just a Little Bit" … pure Top 40 pop, served up bright and bubbly, the way it should be. Then the closer, the super-sad, heartwrenchy "Days Like This" by Lickle Kings, sounds like a good Mary J. Blige tune.

A disc that can get you laid, or just make you feel like it. These types of mixes may ultimately end up being as disposable as a 3-pack of condoms purchased at a 7-11 at 2am Saturday night/Sunday morning, but for the moment, they're just as essential. And Tricky's is ribbed for extra pleasure.

Loud Bassoon rating scale

Review by Helene Bacon