Hakan Lidbo Dunka Dunka CD

That Håkan Lidbo should start off his newest album with a distorted bassline that could be either something from a lost funk-metal album of the '90s or something that 23 Skidoo tripped over back in 1982 somehow seems right: what good are expectations if they're not screwed around with? From there Dunka Dunka, which includes a few earlier singles cuts along with a host of new efforts, makes its own aggressive way -- dipping in and out of both new and old styles almost maniacally, it's an interesting contrast to the slew of recent electronic albums that seem almost fiercely dedicated to a uniform impact. Dunka Dunka has a good flow to it but moves in intentional fits and starts; even the previously released "Half Man Half Lobster" sounds simultaneously out of place and perfectly positioned near the album's start. Lidbo's strength at matching a straightforward beat with odd melodies or elements remains solid, and if there's not much that can be considered explicitly innovative, it's sometimes all down to the details in each song. The sparkling metallic keyboard hits and stretched out vocal samples on "Call for Islam," another of the previously released tracks, aren't new per se but the combination over a strong as hell bass growl works perfectly. Consider also the riff on the wonderfully titled "Geekdorf," at once an obvious descendant from Joey Beltram and something that still seems a bit weird, just out of place enough. Best song title: "This Looks Infected, Doesn't It?" (It's probably not coincidental that the song's organic-sounding squelchiness sounds like an analog to Matmos' liposuction efforts.) ~ Ned Raggett