Das Rad - Das Rad

Stunning prog-friendly improv-rock from Sheffield stock.

If you don't know the name of multi-instrumentalist and Discus Musics' owner Martin Archer, then you've not been paying attention to some of the most interesting developments in British jazz, psych and rock during the last 25 years. His latest cross-genre experiment finds him in the company of guitarist Nick Robinson and Radio Massacre International's keyboardist / drummer Steve Dinsdale.

An extremely accessible, at times almost poppy collection of instrumental tracks, it's a skilful integration of jazzy muscularity, noodling electronica and invigorating surges of air-punching rock. Mostly they appear as concisely constructed bursts with a punk-like brevity that brings urgency and impact to scrunching guitar riffs and luminous shafts of Mellotron strings. However, their two epic-length explorations Porto Steps and London Steps combine mesmeric mid-tempo beats and throbbing bass to frame scudding sax drifts, twinkling daubs of guitar and bollowing atmospherics to form a blissful and immersive environment. Elsewhere two sumptuous acoustic guitar pieces add bucolic interludes to an album already overflowing with expressive tunes and startling quality. - Sid Smith, PROG

Personnel: Nick Robinson (electric and acoustic guitars, loops, electronics), Martin Archer (saxophones, clarinets, flutes, recorders, melodica, keyboards, electronics, synth bass), Steve Dinsdale (electric drums, acoustic percussion, synth)