Africa Hitech

Future bass as a concept/movement is fairly recognizable at this point: dance music (usually from the UK) that's simultaneously fast and slow, with a subtle, yet powerful low-end throb and copious Afro-Caribbean inflections. So far, no single artist has sustained it for a full album. May 93 Million Miles mark the first of many thrilling successes. It's no accident that Africa Hitech is the product of two talents with extensive experience in full-length releases. Steve Spacek is best known for the band bearing his last name, whereas Mark Pritchard has nearly two decades of dance floor knowledge and album work under his belt. Altogether, this works out to be a very appropriate soundtrack for the 93 million mile commute to the sun and back. Considering the soulfulness and range of Spacek's voice, robot vocals are surprisingly dominant, though "Spirit" and "Light The Way" are a one-two punch of mid-album soulfulness. Every aspect of the music is satisfying; it's polyrhythmic in the extreme, without forgetting to tell you which beat to bounce on. The music lives up to the name of the project.