Clever little album this, the debut from the pairing of Neil Sparkes and Sam Dodson. Subtitled a Stereophonic High Fidelity Adventure it does, what it says on the tin, and offers a distinctive and unique journey through late night lounge bars and tropical tiki paradises.

It is what we would have called in the old days the ultimate come down album for those times when your mind buzzing, your body’s energy is spent, but you don't want to go home.

If all you need is to have your brain teased and ears massaged for a while, this is the album to do it . Don't confuse this collection of sophisticated soundscapes with the bland and banal commercialism of most chillout albums, this would be a disservice. The tracks on Dread Time Story are full of fascinating sounds accompanied by twists & turns in rythms that change seamlessly, taking off in new directions, firmly yet subtly.

There's the anticipated, reverb, 70's dub, hand drumming, hammond organs but with injections of saxophones, bugaloo and a supermarket of experimental electronica Dread Time Story takes lounging around into the 21st century and well away from the cheesy cocktail accompaniments of the 1950's.

I find it fascinating but I suspect it not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Its the type of album that would sit well in a trendy space needing a soundtrack for life to revolve around, or in one of those city centre shops full of nothing you need. Personally my enjoyment comes from playing it in the office, as it fills the silence but allows me to think and work at the same time and who knows, if I had a hammock in my office and a cocktail bar this may have been a completely different review.

Released in the US in February and taken live to Roskilde festival in early July, Dread Time Story gets a worldwide release on 8th August

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