*** Laika

SOUNDS OF THE SATELLITES

(Too Pure/Sire)

There's no good way to label Laika. Sure, they're tightly wound with the trance-rock tradition started by Can. And they've got pristine credentials in the world of feminized (not necessarily feminist) rock. Margaret Fiedler (who was previously with Moonshake) and Guy Fixsen (who produced the Breeders, My Bloody Valentine, and Throwing Muses) have been around the block a few times. On Sounds of the Satellites touches of drum 'n' bass programming, quirky samples, and the occasional dash of rumbling sub-bass enliven the duo's oceanic textures. Laika are fond of technology, but tasteful: their answer to hardware-obsessed noodleheads can be found in the lyrics of the sparkling track "Shut Off/Curl Up" ("Shut off, curl up/If it hurts push harder." Elsewhere, Fiedler's languorous, breathy vocals sit well in a mix peppered with up-tempo drum-machine sequences and tremulous guitar notes -- which hint that Laika stick to "real" instruments (guitar, bass, drums, percussion, mini-Moog) when they play live.

-- Chris Tweney