Back in 2005, we were introduced to a small indie called Kipper. Their ‘Catch of the Day’ was an introduction to their eclectic mix of lo-fi electro infused artists and featured Mundane Music and Sanjuro77. 18 months on they’ve been good enough to send out 'Volume 2', again looking as if it was put together by an Arts and Craft group with an excess of corrugated cardboard (and I mean that in a good way).

Mundane Music feature again. This time their ‘A Train For You’ pulls together a beautiful echoing keyboard with shimmering percussion and hip hop beats. It’s another cracker from a superbly understated band. They really are very, very good. Sanjuro77 also return, their ‘Night Falls On Timperley’ follows the lead set with previous 'Catch of the Day' contribution ‘In The Company of Crows’, and not just by including the word ‘on’ in the title. Clearly preferring rhythm over melody, ‘Night Falls…’ is, in essence, a bafflingly hooky stuttered drum pattern, melded with electrostatic noise, sci-fi beeps and crackling synth. It isn’t going to win an Ivor Novello, but then Ronan Keating did so what are they worth anyway?

Scott Bruzenak contributes the Willy Mason-esque ‘Things Change’, a pleasantly-stoned little acoustic number with some gloriously ‘not arsed’ vocals. ‘Sleep Facing East’ is a superb blissed-out electronic dreamscape, opera vocals and trip-hop beats combining in the only way opera vocals and trip-hop beats could, and its protagonists the Gray are almost the best here.

Almost the best because that honour would have to go to Dupe for their excellent ‘Silkworkers’, where they take what could be one of Noel Gallagher’s cast-offs and turn it into something unlike anything else since records begun. Sparsely rhythmical drums and distorted screeches of tuneful feedback soak the guitars, building to a bizarre organic euphoria. Fabulous stuff.

'Catch of the Day 2' is four times better than 'Catch of the Day', because there’re six more Kipper artists than last time. With the exception of the perhaps-too-challenging-for-this-reviewer DJ Wise (like a blind man hitting bin lids with a really confused concept of timing) it’s another perfect collection. Do what you have to this summer, but do it with these artists as your soundtrack. Predictably outstanding stuff.


Track Listing