Well, it's been two weeks now, and I guess it's time to tell you guys something about Cassius' 1999. I've been diligenty listening to it in my cubicle, my car and at home, thinking, always, of what to tell you, faithful reader. Sad thing is, there ain't much to say.

The concept behind this music is plausible-- relatively easy techno grooves filled with '70s disco sampling and flava. But I found myself too often wondering if these trax benefitted at all from these wistful roots. Maybe I need some coke to truly delight in the seething vacancy of 1999, but I'm pretty sure that it's clearly not happening.

Don't get me wrong-- as pure dance music, this album can stand side by side with the legions of house, techno and rave comps that stress booties on their covers. I mean, it could just be the pompous prick in me, but I've come to expect a more cerebral quality from Astralwerks artists. Sure, there are some decent tracks-- the synthesizer in "La Monde" is a squeezy delight. I'm sure "Foxy" is pumping out the loudspeakers of a club somewhere as you read this. And "Club Soixante Quinze" is just plain groovy. However, it's pretty tepid overall depite its origins in France, the beloved land of quirky DJs. Don't bother with it. There are far better techno records on the market.

-James P. Wisdom