In the annals of pop reinvention, there can have been few sonic make-overs either more complete or more seemingly unexpected than the one effected here. With Dust, DJ Muggs, the beat-maker behind the crisp, dusty sound of Cypress Hill, proves that he's not limited to beats and rhymes. Dust is an atmospheric tour de force, a record that doesn't just come from left-field, it breaks down the fence to proclaim its uniqueness. "I Know" begins with wispy fuzztone guitar sprawling across sounds culled from a children's playground. When the beat arrives, a minute in, it slouches like Yeats' beast making for Bethlehem, while the breathy female vocal is jarringly, glassily angular. The next track, though, "Rain", is almost jaunty country-psych-rock, while "Faded" is airy male vocals and melodeon. "Gone for Good", featuring Everlast and with a filthy drum loop, is the only thing that sounds remotely like you might have expected it to, given Muggs' track record. Clearly, Lawrence Muggerud has either been spending longer with Dr Greenthumb than is usual even for him, or he has a wandering ear and eccentric muse to rival the more lauded likes of Beck, Tricky or even Prince. Check it out. --Angus Batey
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