March 10, 2005 - For those unfamiliar with Lemon Jelly except in the capacity of a fruity provision for a favorite starch, Fred Deakin and Nick Frangien formed the eponymous group three years ago as an answer to the Fatboy Slims, Thievery Corporations and Kruder & Dorfmeisters of the world. Theirs was a soundscape comprised of scattered, smothered and covered samples, and one which generated a rabid following when ultra-rare singles like the impossible-to-find "Soft Rock" 7" became irresistible dancefloor oddities (if you have one and are interested in selling, let me know). With '64-'95, the group retreat completely into their crate-digging roots and produce an album comprised solely of beats culled from their decades as DJs and music fans.

The problem with a conceit like this is that it reveals its limitations even as it revels in myriad opportunity. For instance, the opening track "'88 aka Come on Down" leaps right into a sample of forgotten neoclassicists Masters of Reality, but quickly speeds past eclecticism and aims for a straightfoward Chemical Brothers-style shakedown; rather than building a new vehicle on the sample's engine block, the Jellyheads simply retool the sound and supe it up for modern-day discotheques. Ditto "'68 aka Only Time," a repetitive refrain of guitar over a wash of keyboards and submerged vocal samples. Only the vibrating piano note resting just beneath the hip-hop beat of "'93 aka Don't Stop Now" brings the disc back from the brink of noveltydom- valuable though that may be on its own merits (think Moby's Play)- and makes for a memorable musical jaunt for fans both fastidious and fleeting of the genre known as 'electronica.'

"'95 aka Make Things Right" is a sunny rocker fit for a bright Friday afternoon, bolstered by an r&b; sample from junior-league diva Monica, and seems destined for a fabric-softener or cosmetic commercial in the near future; "'79 aka The Shouty Track" carves up guitar samples and assembles them at right angles to a chugging percussion section; "'75 aka Stay With You" doesn't quite exploit its Gallagher/ Lyle sample to its full '70s soft-rock potential, but gets points for carving it up so breezily; and "'90 aka A Man Like Me" transforms Ralph Tresvant's butter-smooth soul into an ascending lovemaking riff.

While there will no doubt be better IDM long-players bumping uglies with your music library this year, '64-'95 is a suitable placeholder for the painful dearth of remarkable records that seem to spring anew from the foundering genre. Like so many similar artists, Lemon Jelly is enjoyable enough as a temporary substitute for an already rich diet of electronic music, but don't expect their pleasures to preserve well.

Definitely Download:
1. "'88 aka Come Down on Me"

2. "'90 aka A Man Like Me"

Overall Score 8.0