Glasgow Sound System – Spells EP

Craigie Knowes' latest must-check-missive is a mysterious one. It comes from debutant Glasgow Sound System, a publicity-shy artist who has "appeared from the ether to bless our dancefloors". Whoever they are, there's plenty to admire across the five tracks on offer, from the throbbing and druggy, Optimo at the Berkeley Suite-friendly dark Italo-meets-EBM strut of 'Cocaine' and the sparkling, spoken word sample-sporting dark-wave house throb of 'Planet', to the gnarled electroclash riffs, breathless beats and mind-mangling noise of 'Hallucination'. Or shadowy hero steps away from the dancefloor on 'Spells', wrapping weird noises, acid lines and dystopian bass around a sampled, trip-hop break, and the jazzier, out-there shuffle of 'Midnight Shadows'.