*** The Herbaliser

BLOW YOUR HEADPHONES

(Ninja Tune)

The title says "Headphones," but one of those new surround-sound stereo systems would be more appropriate for the cinematic hip-hop soundscapes the Herbaliser deliver. The product of the sonic perfectionism of British mix wizards Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba, Blow Your Headphones pans from cocktail-lounge guitars to acoustic-bass breakbeats, from traffic-jam car horns and vibraphone loops to virtuoso turntable scratch.

"I move around the beat creatin' more styles," a sampled voice interjects into the scratch-laden mix of "More Styles," offering a soundbite definition of the Herbaliser's musical mission. New styles emerge from the mixed-down ashes of old, edging around the boundaries of hip-hop, jazz, and funk. Wherry and Teeba also jump into parodies of entrenched styles like gangsta rap, which gets a hilarious send-up by rapstress What What on "Hardcore." Whether they're being ironic, silly, clever, or cool, the Herbaliser offer sharp mixes that feed your head. But they never lose sight of dance music's main target: moving your booty.

-- Chris Tweney