Celestial Electric Rd (Drum Music) Celestial started dabbling in dub a decade ago, mapping out a soundscape for the city. The brainchild of producer/writer/multi-instrumentalist Peter Millward, Celestial's eclectic electronica has reflected the myriad influences sweeping through the city - and the many changes to befall it. Hence there is a tinge of sadness on Electric Rd, borne out by - Millward has said - the 'emptiness of modern-day life', by a lust for profit that has seemingly swept our heritage aside. Strong sentiments indeed but this collection is never really about doom and gloom, more about deep, solid grooves. And moments of utter inspiration. The joyous Kowloon, Hong Kong kicks things off by blending May Chan's sweet vocals with the guitar stylings of Eugene Pao into an infectious mix. Millward throughout uses his guest artists wisely, dropping a little erhu (thanks to Hsin Hsiao-hung) into the likes of Ghost Town and Green Island, and a soaring shakuhachi (Sunny Yeung) on Three Valleys, without their presence ever feeling overblown or out of place. Another Planet - the standout track - manages to seamlessly combine Welsh and Putonghua rap with erhu and more traditional vocalising, thanks to John Griffiths, Antonius Chen, Chan and Hsin. It is a brave, and ultimately successful, tribute to a diverse city. Behind all the tracks, however, the beat is the thing. And when the thunderclaps introduce Dead Ahead - a meeting of two generations as Pao is joined by Audio Traffic's Adrian Da Silva - you can almost feel the city's pulse begin to throb. Electric Rd comes at you pretty much like Hong Kong itself - full of surprises around every corner.
