DJ Frane

Four years ago, Frane’s Fantastic Boatride was an aquatic odyssey over, in and through water. The theme worked well on the first volume of Beats to Blaze to thanks to the unifying sounds of water and sea travel throughout. Well, the boat has run aground, Christopher Columbus-style, on the Electric Garden of Delights where we’ll hopefully plant some "Thought Seeds.” Frane is a little less successful in holding together the sonic atmosphere of a garden than he was with the water journey of Volume 1. Still, he’s put together a damn fine instrumental album that seamlessly flows through a variety of tempos, moods and musical genres. The result is a weeded excursion into the Electric Garden with songs like "Hydroponic Jungle Throwdown,” "Green Buds in the Springtime” and "Hi Without You,” as well as a little side trip into dreams. Fully beats to blaze to, the Electric Garden is also an enjoyable place to visit for the sober listener, too. Where will DJ Frane take us next?