The likes of "William Powell" and "Airproofing" can be too herky-jerky and dissonant for their own good. Kottke does save the day every so often, smoothing out the roughness with a blend of treble notes. Nine of the 13 compositions are original, typical Kottke: instrumentally complex speedballs that leave the untrained ear behind. But Kottke is a self-styled original, and no matter how inaccessible his work, how idiosyncratic his sense of humor, he won't go out of style.

-- Marc Levy