LAB RAT XL Vinyl & CDs

Review: For those not schooled in Drexciyan history, Lab Rat XL was a short-lived alternative alias of the legendary Motor City electro duo. Mice or Cyborg, the project's only release, originally appeared on Clone in 2003, just months after member James Stinson passed away. These days original copies are highly sought after, making this reissue more than welcome. It remains a superb example of timeless, otherworldly electro and techno fusion, with Stinson's penchant for ethereal melodies, atmospheric chords and fizzing drum machine rhythms - such a regular feature of his work with both Drexciya and the Other People Place - rightfully coming to the fore. Naturally, the inherent positivity of some of the tracks is counter-balanced by clandestine creepiness in others, making Mice or Cyborg a brilliantly balanced and hugely entertaining collection of cuts.