COLD AS F*CK You know when you put an album on your ordinary stereo in your ordinary room and suddenly you're transported to somewhere extra-ordinary?

Nope, nor did I, not till I heard this record anyway. "Cinematic electronica" is how the music is described, and cinematic electronica just about hits the nail right on the head; you can see the sounds coming out of the speakers. After the high expectations set by his work as one half of Lien (and the subsequent stir on the indie scene caused by their 'Matica' album), Dan McRae aka Thin Films has come up trumps with Eskimo - an icy concept album gleaming with frozen tundra, white wastelands and snowy peaks. Listening to these tracks is like a David Attenborough documentary on crystal meth, infused with digital beats and epic melodies. There's a tremendous scope in style here too. Numbers like Polar Bear and Inuit In NY are ghostly synths in Arctic wind, music to explore to, whereas Huskies and the almighty The Awakening (co-written with Lien comrade Dave Renstar and McRae's significant other half Julie Blackett aka. Miss Treats (Trash Palace superstar DJ), worked on the sleeve layout alongside illustrator 'Neil Shrubb' who produced the quite frankly stunning artwork) are rousing, gushing pieces set to monster percussion and awesome chords. The String Theory remix of Farfield's Lure Of Time has got a beat to die for, and McRae's fondness of classical music trickles through on the aurora-esque (is that a word?) Morning Valley, complete with plucked strings and rolling thunder. It's also worth mentioning the post-production work here which is so polished you can see your face in it - every significant sound is amplified to superb detail, the muffled icy crunches to the occasional live drumming which works amazingly with the heavier tracks. For anyone with even a passing interest in innovative music, or if you just want to hear your tunes in 3D, this album is definitely worth a spin. Just make sure you've got something warm on first.

Review by George Bass

http://www.thinfilms.co.uk
http://www.shopsonic.com/thinfilms