A Grape Dope

The Missing Dragons EP, the product of Tortoise percussionist John Herndon, is as varied as it is experimental. The disc jumpstarts with the frenzied rhythmic romp of "Action: Showered Us,” then suddenly switches gears with the considerably mellower and more composed, "When You Crash and Burn,” a vibraphone-laced, Tortoise-esque track featuring the Mekons’ Sally Timms. Next, Anticon’s DoseOne drops oblique rhymes over the robo-shuffle of "Red Hat Attack,” while "Inaction: Shadowed Us” features ponderous sine waves over a backdrop of mechanical noises. Despite the title, electrified funk closer "Hellz Bellz” is as far removed from Aussie rock as possible. In less than 30 minutes, A Grape Dope demonstrates more innovation than many artists do in their entire lifetimes.