For those that don't know (or care), I ran an online non-profit magazine dedicated to electronic music for the best part of ten years. The reason for finishing Absorb (as it was known) was mainly to do with the sheer volume of records piling in. Mail storm > panic > terminate. Whilst it might have alleviated stress at this end, I still (after all these years) feel bad for the label owners and artists who took the time and effort to post me stuff. And then me failing to reciprocate with any form of feedback....I'm trying to make amends.

Wilt: As Giants Watch Over Us (Ad Noiseam) - CD released April 2004

Berlin based Ad Noiseam always had a prolific attitude to releases. A catalogue exploring the more brittle end of the electronic music spectrum. Roughly presented bursts of breakcore, ambient and the rhythmically experimental. Wilt's approach to music making is evidently DIY, with the majority of their discography coming out on cassettes and CD-R. This album binds together dark ambience, audio samples and found sounds. All moody and suitably effective whilst it's on, but like most music of this ilk, it's totally forgettable as soon as it's off.

Various Artists: Wild Dub - Dread Meets Punk Rocker Downtown (Select Cuts) - CD Compilation 2003

There's been so much documented about the relationship between the movements of Punk and Dub Reggae that it's futile and pointless to discuss it here. This badly presented (shudder at that cover) but thoughtfully compiled collection brings together all the big players. Plus a couple of numbers that all but the dedicated might have missed. Militant transmissions by the likes of The Ruts and The Clash still dazzle. The former with their startling tribute to Southall police brutality and Peel favourite 'Jah War' and the latter with their magnificent 'Bankrobber'.

But elsewhere, Generation X's dub of 'Wild Youth' (with Billy Idol before he became irritating) are satsifying shouty moments of dubby pop. But most startling of all is 'One of the Lads' by 4 Be 2. A bizarre mashup of irish fiddle, lo-fi guitar and dub rhythm knowingly produced by a certain John Lydon....

Voicechanger - Left Arm Friend (Involve) - CD EP 2002

Sounds like a cross between Radiohead and Sigur Ros. And that's not a good thing in my book. I mean, I quite liked shoegazing back in the day but this is taking the piss. Still, the producer of this has made some pretty decent records under the name Signer ('Low Light Dreams' is a minor masterpiece)....so at least something has been salvaged from this.

Amon Tobin - Verbal Remixes and Collaborations (Ninja Tune) - CD Compliation July 2003

'Supermodified' (one of his earlier albums) was pretty decent; smatterings of hyperspeed jungle, crusty jazz samples and huge dollops of sub-bass. What's not to like? But the adulation and praise that fell upon Amon Tobin always seemed to baffle me. With subsequent output often bordering on the criminally lazy. This compilation took a clutch of remixes of his terrible single 'Verbal' alongside some more successful partnerships. The best of which being the urgent cut-up / shimmer of 'Ten Piece Metric Wrench Set' with New York's legendary Steinski.

Various Artists - The Ear Cleaners (Klove Records) - CD-R Compilation September 2003

When i ran absorb.org, I remember some guy calling round my flat when I lived in Cricklewood one day. He didnt say much, just thrust a CD into my hand of this compilation and another CD-R with the words 'Alan Titmash' scrawled on it in marker pen. The tracklisting of the compilation contained further gems; Scapasm, Hot Roddy Ramshaw and, best of all, Neurowanker. Whilst the fervour of breakcore and its ilk seem to sound tired to these ears (no-one has come close to the likes of Venetian Snares IMHO), there are moments on this compilation that work: take a bow Shitmat.