This British electronic duo produce a fascinating work.

‘Crooks And Lovers’ is the kind of record which really needs to be absorbed in one sitting. Take each of its eleven component parts in isolation and you’re left with little more than a smarter than average electronic curiosity, hypnotic and accomplished, but disjointed. Sit down, crank up the speakers, and take it all in, and you’ll experience something very different, Mount Kimbie taking you on an evocative, spacey, multifaceted journey through the realms of what’s been branded ‘Post Dubstep.’ You’ve got your carefully arranged samples, all manner of beats and blips assembled with apparent ease. You’ve got the vocal samples, just on the right side of irritating, and a difficult to pin down organic feel that defies the process of the album’s construction. It’s not an easy listen, nor is it likely to appeal to all, but it is innovative and, with enough perseverance, ultimately rewarding.

While cuts like ‘Would Know’ and ‘Before I Move Off’ can prove frustrating on first play, the very repetition which makes them initially inaccessible is perhaps their greatest strength, allowing a listener to become absorbed in the intricacies of their minimalistic grooves, the slightest variations memorable, and the release of energy which comes towards the conclusion of the record proving all the more satisfying. The duo’s development in the future should be very interesting, wherever they choose to take their sound.

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Rob Sayce