Mouse on Mars: 'Parastrophics'

Few electronic artists are able to age as well as Mouse on Mars. The duo have constantly embraced new technologies and techniques while retaining a compositional voice that is undeniably their own. That trend is continued on Parastrophics, which is the first MoM album made using exclusively digital equipment to create stunning results. The record strikes a balance between the noisy glitch work of the duo's later output and the dub-influenced ambient sounds of their early days, yet openly embraces slickly produced dance music in a way that surpasses their experimentation with the genre on 2004's Radical Connector. Consequently, Parastrophics is one of MoM's most consistently diverse and enjoyable works. The duo's signature sonic manipulation and attention to gesture is still intact but, instead of using these sounds as a crutch, MoM seamlessly incorporates them into their plethora of new ideas. "They Know Your Name" finds the band stacking characteristically angular synths and granular vocal processing against a driving 4/4 groove to create one of their most infectious tracks, while songs like "Cricket" and "Syncropticians" impossibly sound like Nuno Canavarro re-imagined as dance music. Parastrophics is a diverse and joyous record that makes for many dizzily fun listens.

★★★★ ½ (out of 5 stars)