Fantastic selection of music, showing off just how ace and versatile the Ghostly label is. Covering all bases from fractured hip-hop (Dabrye) and hi-energy electro (Charles Manier) to folktronica (Midwest Product) and college rock (Dykehouse). Despite this being released way back in 2003, this still sounds fresh and vital. Just to show how late I am, I think Idol Tryouts Vol.2 is about to come out. Probably be just as skill.

Let's clear up one thing first: this sounds completely shit on most people's playback devices. Just as clarity is needed for the sonic purity of Raster Noton, LOUD is required for the sonic impurity of The Bug. This isn't music for iPod's.

Whilst he subscribes to the energies of the sub-current rhythms that London emits: dancehall, dub, grime and dubstep to name a few. The Bug's music has always existed on the fringes. I guess that's the way he likes it. Qualities that are embodied in those genres can be uncompromising, visceral but also addictive and inclusive.

So here we have ever-punishing variations on max dancehall. But that doesn't mean that the subtleties won't go by unnoticed. Each vocalist brings a different frictional texture to the sonic barrage. And the versions on the second disc give you the option of immersing yourself in his noise minus the human input.

I know I'm supposed to like Keiran's work, but I personally feel he's got less and less interesting as time has gone on. I really loved his earlier band Fridge and I guess I feel his solo work misses that friction between players. Highlights: the excellent single 'Smile around the face' (my mate Mark starred in the video), the acid squelch intro and the frenetic drum workout outro of 'Sleep, Eat Food, Have Visions'. Needless to say his recent collaborations with Steve Reid yield far more wholesome results.

For once, the concept really does open up the music to another level. You can discover the theory yourself, leaving an album of eclectic, quirky, experimental variations on electronic jazz. The velveteen vocal stylings of Dani Siciliano are a surprising but welcome addition on the humourous 'Celebrity'. Might be too loose and playful for some (no rigid 4/4 or hard edits here), but this is frisky, urgent, idea-loaded music with something to say.

Before Planet Mu hits us with a blast of new music over the course of 2006, I thought I'd better mark comments against some releases that came out in 2005. This is probably my least favourite release. The pared down, generic artwork almost reflect the music. Which is pared down, generic electronica. It has a sweet, genteel charm that'll endear it to some listeners.