Hexadecimal is a pretty neat thing. Without it, the web browser you're using right now would not be able to express the rich, beautiful colors you're observing. Unfortunately, Hexstatic is not nearly as cool as hexadecimal.

Rewind is a two-disc set consisting of a standard issue CD, and an accompanying multimedia-- or rather Macromedia-- extravaganza. For those of you unfamiliar with Macromedia's Director software, it was originally used for business presentations before it expanded into the territory of enhanced CD-Roms and some of the fucking worst computer games you'll never play.

Rewind was released on Ntone, an offshoot of the awesome experimental beat label Ninja Tune. But unlike quasi-labelmates Kid Koala, Amon Tobin, and DJ Food, the members of Hexstatic seem not to have gotten over the fact that a sampler can be used as more than just a goofy toy. This isn't necessarily a bad thing-- using instruments as toys can lead to fun, engaging music. It's just that, in this case, it doesn't.

Rewind is a startlingly appropriate title, since the album seems to verge on obsession with retro kitsch. Many of the record's tracks, including the aptly titled "Robopop," contain-- get this-- computerized vocals! That might have been cool when Stockhausen did it, but where have Hexstatic been since Cher's "Believe?" Jennifer Lopez has used the vocoder! It's not that cool.

If you're still unconvinced of the obnoxiously tech-savvy nature of Rewind, cue up "Communication Break-Down," which features aggravating tapes of boring people talking about "technology and the coming millennium," and-- drumroll, please-- modem noises! Why not base a song around samples of Meg Ryan from You've Got Mail while you're at it? It'll be the next "Batdance!"

Putting the irksome noises aside, which is not easy, the greatest weakness of Rewind lies in its unoriginal, unmotivated rhythms. This record really puts Ninja Tune to shame, relying on clicky drum machines and dead jungle beats for sluggish pacing. The one relatively interesting sonic moment appears on "Deadly Media," where overdubbed vocals are spliced together into intricate rhythms.

But Rewind isn't just a CD; it's an 80-foot, fire-breathing, car-crushing, multimedia blowout. Alright, so the multimedia disc is pretty weak, but it does get brownie points for a couple features. For starters, the interface bears a striking resemblance to the classic computer game, "Spectre VR." The main menu/polygon-blaster will surely bring a tear to the eyes of those of us who think that poorly-rendered wireframe shoot-'em-ups met an early demise. Slightly more relevant is the neato remix tool: Hexstatic grant you privileges to mess around with their songs through sample triggering. It's fun for a few minutes, but after a while you'll find yourself craving the complex interactivity of, say, pong.

Both visually and aurally, Rewind runs the gamut from annoying to innocuous, with a few flashes of coolness in between. These flashes of coolness do not include the painfully annoying "Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing technical difficulties" introduction, or the porno noises in "The Horn." Considering the amount of effort that obviously went into this album, it's a shame that the result just isn't that good. As a multimedia experience, it's passable. But as an album, Hexstatic is nothing short of hexacerbating. Hence, the rating: a hexadecimalian 5.0.

-Matt LeMay