If you haven't heard the hype surrounding David Holmes' fascinating new record, Let's Get Killed, you've obviously not been keeping up with the media. Oh, sure. The media's overpowering, I know. They throw all this shit at you, and you just can't read, watch and listen to everything. Hey, neither can I, but it's my job to dig through as much as I can and bring the results to your personal computer. So here's what my studies found:

Let's Get Killed, is indeed the new album by David Holmes, a DJ from Belfast. And the second it spun in my stereo, it eradicated any doubt that the hype was, for once, completely justified. Your question: what the hell makes it so damn special? Well, friend, it's different. And like the media tells you, different is good. How's it different? Well, yeah, it's dancy and dubby and electronic, just like electronic music usually is. Nothing different about that. But what holds your interest are the samples. See, our Holmes had an adventure in New York City. He went all around the place and collected every overheard conversation on a pocket tape recorder. And there are some crazy motherfuckers in that city -- this disc is Exhibit A.

Holmes takes you on one pedestrian's journey through Alphabet City, The Bronx, The Lower Eastside, Washington Square Park and other places you wouldn't want to be alone in at three a.m. The best part is he accompanies you with tripping rhythms, swinging basslines and 40-piece orchestras. Hell, you'll even get down on his cover of the original James Bond theme song and Serge Gainsbourg's "Don't Die Just Yet."

Granted, you might get bored somewhere along the way. These beats are just not as inspired as some of the truly great electronic music I've heard recently, but they get the job done. If you like the electronic stuff, I'm giving it an honest-to-god recommendation. If not, you might wanna give it a quick listen and see if it's really your thing.

-Ryan Schreiber