Jackson And His Computer Band

What is the difference between sound and music? Furthermore, can sound itself be music and if so, is every sound we hear and every sound that can be created to be considered as music? There's something of the inventor and the innovator about Mr Jackson and his aptly named Computer Band. 'SMASH' has the celestial quality. 'Utopia' greets the ear as the soft musings of an electronic infused choir. The vocals are spellbinding and that which backs the vocals in the pursuit of musical domination is suspicious. It has an unearthly quality to it. What can be making such a sound as this and- more to the point- how can such a sound as this exist? Like those seeking the wisdom of the alchemist, we want to know the secrets and we want to know them before the others.

They- the PR subjects in suits- call this album the 'après rave shimmer'. True, 'SMASH' sets foot in the landscape of dance music but the footing remains unsteady. This is not the traditional fodder for those who lurk within the nightclub walls. 'Rock On' is inspired and cuts through your attention to imprint an eerie, fog-laced fingerprint on the conscience of the listener. Granted, the album cover will give your nightmares cause for concern. Is Mr Jackson a magician at a wedding? The gothic attire and the eerie feel about the music suggest that there's a frenetic pulse of activity driving this record along. The songs might be slow, tempered and methodical but someone, somewhere, is pulling the levers and that person is rich in passion. With all the samples of cogs turning and metal hitting metal, it's only a matter of time before the listener understands. This music is forming itself into a machine. The record is a building site and the music has one eye on the materials and the other on the manpower required. What all this builds in your mind is down to you. For once, the interpretation is the message.

Let the unmasked magician into your life and welcome Mr Jackson into your affections. 'SMASH' may once have been the name of an easy to make mashed potato meal. Now, it has taken on altogether different connotations. It is the mark of the new, the original and the superb. Play on, minstrel. Play on.