Bloo (Whirling Pool)

Bloo

(Whirling Pool)

Say what you will about the global electronica free-for-all, but Austin's own little semi-secret clique of knobbies and circuit manglers is, frankly, far more interesting and than 90% of the traveling Euro-heroes we've had slink through town in the past couple of years. Not exactly what you'd call Oakenfold wannabes, local acts such as Quaquaversal, Lupe, and Kitty offer decidedly more challenging, stimulating, and downright musical depictions of what can be done with some Rolands, a power supply, and a fistful of loose LEDs than most stand-there-and-spin club DJs. Bloo, which features 13 local groups, comes frequently closer to tapping into Eno-esque soundscapes (DXM's ethereal, Orbital-sounding "Percolateur Avia," the slow melt of Lupe's "Cold and Wet") than it does any of the more prevalent electro-stratum such as house, trance, or even speed garage. Tracks by Flyover and Claude 9 have a distinctly drum and bass background, but they're more likely to make you want to go drive a Saab much too fast down the PCH than fly to Brighton to rediscover Goldie's metalloid charm. Almost all of the 13 represented here are what one would call deep underground in the Austin scene, so kudos and Gummi worms to project producer Robert Mace of Quaquaversal for final getting these shadowbands out into the light of CD player laser eyes.