- For their mammoth one-hundredth release, Altered States Tapes have dropped a celebratory compilation From The Bottom Of The Earth To The Top Of The Wazir. Dedicated to the more experimentally inclined electronic music from Australia and abroad, head-honcho Cooper Bowman (who also features on the compilation) describes it as a culimnation of the work of some of the label's defining artists. The result is an intriguing, mixed-bag of the weird and wonderful.

The production values on Repeat Concrete by 2200 (aka Rory McPike) are really amazing. It starts off almost like some typical dub-techno record, before descending into rhythmic noise and sonic explorations. I love the shambolic drums of Sensual Mediation by Trevor, complete with breaks and freewheeling synth lines. I particularly like the last minute of this track too, you'll have to hear it to believe.The mood is brought down with the vaguely ominous song The Smoke In Your Eyes by Tarquin Manek & Ying-Li Hooi. It's a beautiful downtempo piece with panning percussion, a sparse arrangement and eeiree vox.

Orbital Gaze by Lucy Cliche became an instant fav. She serves up a dark electro banger that proves you only need one note for a bass line. WRX's A Dream Dank Cell was is equally enjoyable. A vaguely housey track with some evocative pads and an acid synth line running the breadth of the track. The drum sounds and synth textures change throughout, keeping it moving. Bowman states that this track is an apt example of what the label has become over the last couple of years: "finely tuned techno / house that avoids easy categorisation". That's right on the money, A Dream Dank Cell is a cavalcade of styles, but never loses its inherent dancability.

As a document From The Bottom Of The Earth is an essential for anyone who is a fan of experimental electronics or the Australian underground. The wide variety of tracks (and their quality) are testament to this. With the likes of Efficient Space, Salt Mines and Analogue Attic (the list goes on!) releasing interesting, experimental club music, we're inundated with homegrown gold. Add this one to the list.

- Hill Folk.