Fantastic Man - Alltogethernow EP - Kalahari Oyster Cult

Over the last couple of years, Aussie veteran Fantastic Man (AKA Mic Newman) has subtly shifted his trademark sounds away from soul and disco influenced deep house towards a more hallucinatory, trance and ambient techno inspired take on house and breaks. It's that retro-futurist sound that comes to the fore on his first Kalahari Oyster Cult release. He first adds chiming ambient techno melodies and glassy-eyed electronics to crispy breaks and seriously squelchy breaks on the gorgeous title track, before blurring the boundaries between '89-style uk breaks, acid and psychedelic techno on 'Bioxy'. He opts for a spacey, sub-heavy, subtly bleep-influenced flex on 'Alpha', while 'Trojan Force' is a yearning chunk of mushroom-fuelled sunrise house heaviness. Terrific stuff all told.