*** Luke Vibert and BJ Cole

STOP THE PANIC

(Astralwerks)

Luke Vibert might appear to be just another of those pasty-faced British electronic auteurs with dazzling control over sequencers and samplers, an overwhelming output of releases and remixes, and more working aliases than a card-carrying member of the Wu-crew. But operating in various oddball styles -- spazz 'n' bass, avant-acid jazz, headphone techno -- he distinguishes himself from the experimental-electro crowd with a profound playfulness that usually aims for silliness over significance.

Stop the Panic brings together Vibert and pedal-steel session man BJ Cole (Beck, Björk, Marc Bolan) for an inspired session of shits and giggles. After an intro that promises music "that's a little different from what we normally do," the duo launch into "Swing Lite -- Alright," which grooves like some imaginary collaboration between Esquivel and Eric B. in a Tennessee tiki bar. It really is uncharted territory, as the duo jam their way through a batch of tunes that suggest new subgenres like Hawaiian swing 'n' bass boogaloo ("Party Animal"), country-pop lock ("Start the Panic"), and ambient house for the Hee Haw generation ("Cheng Phooey").

-- Michael Endelman