Hiding behind every tree in sight is a shadow. Hiding behind “Phantom Power” is the Super Furry Animals on their 2004 release “Phantom Phorce”. Widely considered as the new generations’ Trip/Rock innovators for much of their career, they have handed over their 6th album, 2003 XL Recordings/Beggars Group release “Phantom Power”, and to an abundance of different minds from different genres of the music industry.

DJ’s such as Mario Caldato Jr., known from his work with the Beastie Boys, help to reinvent the opening track “Liberty Belle”. A slowly progressing song, as each sound interlude one by one into this track. Further down the road, familiar with this effort or not, anyone will recognize track six’s song title as a familiar name in the world. Massimo‘s mix of “Venus & Serena” is an upbeat broken beat mixer track with samples of various vocals, and plentiful mix diversions such as faders, and distortions.

Never at any time is this a predictable track by any standards, intermissions of soothing trance lead back into the stop and start method that lead the track. Eventually this track will take its dance like sound into a cooling down sound, and give way to the next of the intermissions. The intermissions I mentioned are intermittingly used, like a storybook narrative explaining the concepts in a dry sarcastic humor. Tracks like “Golden Retriever” re-run by Kill Kella revisit the days of flower pop.

Envision fields of lilies with pastel colored clothing and Turntables brought it to keep the attention of our ADHD flavored minds, flutes and all. Taking the Pink Floyd acid rock award is “Piccolo Snare” remixed by Four Tet, for its echoed Syd Barrett esque vocals. This track combines all variations of instruments, and an intro downbeat that sounds like a vehicle hitting the cracks of a highway repeatedly at 65 mph. Other notable tracks include “Bleed Forever” remixed by Bravecaptain, and a tripped out, hopped up Wauvenfold's version of “Sex, War, and Robots.”

This is the regular version;
1.Hello Sunshine - Weevil
2.Liberty Belle - Mario Caldato Jr
3.Golden Retriever - Killa Kela
4.Sex, War & Robots - Wauvenfold
5.The Piccolo Snare - Four Tet
6.Venus & Serena - Massimo
7.Father Father - Boom Bip
8.Bleed Forever - Bravecaptain
9.Out of Control - Zan Lyons
10.Cityscape Sky Baby - Minotaur Shock
11.Valet Parking - High Llamas
12.The Undefeated - Llwybr Llaethog
13.Slow Life - Sir Doufous Styles
14.Valet Parking - Force Unknown
15.Hello Sunshine - Freiband

This album is full of bending guitar chords and bottom line beats like a shaking Twizzler (licorice looking candy treat). An album that is a must for Electronic/Trance fans regardless of whether they are familiar with the original version of this LP.


*Be on the lookout for the limited edition, as I was lucky enough to get my hands on it, (thanks Dennis www.musicemissions.com) it certainly enhances the trip with squeeked out tunes and time consuming restrained breathing like a bored child (laughs, very cool actually).Even more entertaining was the cardboard floppy disc packaging, which enclosed a C.D. that appeared more like a personal burn copy, than a label release.
* Songs like "Slow Life" by Sir Doufous Styles, and "Valet Parking" (Force Unknown Mix) absolutely make the extra work involved in going after a limited edition copy worth it. Showing the extremes as to which S.F.A can go at times. From new age Disco, Drum and Bass, back across the spectrum into Trip Rock. These bonus tracks AKA the "Slow life E.P.", which at times integrate a random Spice Girls chant for comedic addition just do not disappoint in any sense of the entertainment terms.





Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Sleeping