Radical Connector

After an unprecedented long gap between albums, the usually prolific German electronica duo Mouse on Mars showed some notable advances with RADICAL CONNECTOR. The 2004 release features Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma edging ever further toward straight-ahead pop-song formats while still retaining a decidedly unconventional edge. With its chiming guitars and sunny layers of vocal harmony, "Mine Is in Yours" could be the Beach Boys as realized by Air, and "Wipe That Sound" suggests early Prince filtered through a postmodern, European cut-and-paste sensibility. Hip-hop is evoked on "All the Old Powers," albeit a brand of hip-hop that's as conversant with the Residents as with the Wu-Tang Clan. Ultimately, RADICAL CONNECTOR is a consistently surprising melange of pop hooks, dance beats, avant-garde production touches, quirky IDM, and atmospheric synth washes, marking Mouse on Mars as simultaneously uncompromising and accessible--a rare accomplishment in any style.