**1/2

BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE

(Astralwerks)

If funky, happy techno can be sold on personality alone, then Bentley Rhythm Ace have the charts wrapped up. Here's the recipe: put Mike Stokes, an unemployed electrician, and Richard March, formerly the bass player for Pop Will Eat Itself, into a tricked-out psychedelic VW bus, add samplers and a big pack of old disco records, a seriously campy costume wardrobe, and stir. Out come sniggly guitar grooves, thumping bass, a few nods to hip-hop culture, and a lot of undulating house beats. The Bentleys are silly all the time: the digitized joyride of "Ragtopskodacarchase" and the retro-cool parody of "Who Put the Bom in the Bom Diddleye Bom" sneak up and make you giggle. With their penchant for outrageousness, polyvinyl clothing, and rump-shaking slicked-up funk, BRA may not be innovative, but they are a lot of fun -- especially at massive volume.

-- Chris Tweney

(Bentley Rhythm Ace headline Axis this Saturday, November 22. Call 931-2000.)