O compilation disc, how thy nuances trouble my waking, my dreams. In the day, smiling techno promised mixed-down, flowing DJ comps, and it almost always delivered. The flow grooved me deep from my toes to the top of my crazed woolen hair, and I realized that techno comps were good (most of them, anyway). They were the vision of a single man, the revered "DJ" that gave these comps their flow, their groove, and their all-out rhythmic assaults.

Suddenly, I find myself returned to the land of unmixed electro comps. Astralwerks has presented me with Unknownwerks, the earnestly subtitled "New Crop of American Electronic Artists." You'll recall, I'm sure, that Astralwerks was once the driving force behind crossover-potential DJs and producers across the land. Now they seem satisfied and relaxed in their place. They've become comfortable. An unfortunate thing.

Unknownwerks turns out to be exactly what Astralwerks says it is. 12 tracks of mostly unsigned acts putting their best foot forward and taking at shot at stardom. This is a good thing, in the sense that the disc brings together a wide range of sounds and artists that are all new-- there's sure to be a few winners in the bunch, right?

Oh, yes. Metrodub's "Cut Up Music" opens the disc on an upbeat note with a Coldcut-esque pastiche of influences and breaks, marred only by the seemingly now-omnipresent sample asking, "What does it take to be a hip-hop DJ?" I think that from this point onward, using instructional samples about how to mix or scratch in crackling 1950s hi-fi should be frowned upon by all listeners. It's no longer clever, original or interesting. Perhaps samples from the Discovery Channel might be more relevant-- something like, "See as the jackals circle in pack before finally attacking and devouring their prey."

Hexx's "Hallucination Generation" keeps the tempo up with a track that alternates between Fatboy Slim ripoffs and entertaining samples. Le Pimp's "King of the Bad Groove" has an ass-meat eatin' funk swagger mated with low-key loops that never actually go anywhere. Bionic's "Ultra Blue" serves up a hearty helping of drum-n-bass that fills you up without weighing you down. Beat Pharmacy's "The Next Big Chill" acts as an anchor with its bland, but beat-rich nine-minute ambient techno composition.

More? Yeah, there's plenty more. SJP's "Funky Boombastic" stands out as one of the best tracks on the album, pulling together numerous and diverse hip-hop and dub influences into a bouncy, rap-intensive six minutes. And hot on its heels comes Central's "Hard Hit," another of Unknownwerks mediocre big-beat yawners that, while not overtly bad, doesn't offer much in the way of fresh beats, breaks or ideas. Shiverhead's "Ready 2 Rock" brings distortion to new levels, stuffing phat, crunchy samples together between sirens and blotted vocals, then turning up the speed and switching angles-- first to garage, then lo-fi old-skool and back again.

Oh, but we're not finished yet. Wide's "Lift Ticket" demonstrates painfully brief inspiration that would feel right at home on a Fluke album, and its follow-up, DJ Donovan's "Freon" starts with little, but builds up momentum over its eight minutes, varying between ambient backgrounds and dance-friendly techno. Antarko Bear, our Track 11 artist, serves up a pleasingly predictable techno offering on "This Time." (Exercising some restraint, the track is straightforward and walks the fine line between "techno for listening" and "techno for dancing.") The record wraps up with Agent Babylon's "Liquid Loops;" another eight- minute exploration of dozens of different loops twisted this way and that. A hair above mediocre.

As a whole, Unknownwerks isn't an album I'd ever buy. Call me crazy, but I've been spoiled by having all those nice DJs mix my techno so's it'll flow from start to finish. This comp is an often jarring compendium of different artists that obviously have different tastes and influences. As such, it serves its purpose. There's probably four tracks in here that anybody could enjoy, but the overall listening experience bounces aimlessly from one genre to another. If you're looking for a primer on fresh meat, knock yourself out. But I suspect Unknownwerks won't linger in many players for long.

-James P. Wisdom