Ring Of Saturn

After the negative response to his two-disc sophomore album SaturnzReturn, Goldie's next major release was (thankfully) an EP, albeit a ten-track, 60-minute EP. Fortunately, Ring of Saturn returns the producer to exactly what made his reputation: the tightest breakbeats and most original effects around. Ring of Saturn begins with a VIP remix of "Mother" -- a track whose album version was over an hour long -- that drastically improves the original simply by trimming the endless wash of swirling orchestration that began and closed the track in its original incarnation. Signs of Goldie's particular affinity for excess (read: super-slick jazz-fusion) are still noticeable; the emphasis single is a cover of Bobby Caldwell's quiet-storm chestnut "What You Won't Do for Love" with longtime Goldie collaborator Diane Charlemagne on vocals. The other unreleased tracks however, are leaner and much more tied to underground jungle than anything on SaturnzReturn, and it's a much better release. Rounding out the EP are remixes -- by Optical and Grooverider -- of the Noel Gallagher collaboration "Temper Temper," and both are excellent examples of twisted industrial tech-step. ~ John Bush