Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and David Lynch Dark Night of the Soul Download only ( www.npr.org ) It's the dream of the underground: hip hop's most individual producer, American indie's Brian Wilson and alternative culture's most iconic filmmaker gathered together with the cream of underground music all on one CD. It's moving, riveting and among the best collaborative efforts ever put to disc. The one snag: it's unlikely to see the light of day in your local record shop any time soon. Dark Night of the Soul is a collection of atmospheric songs composed by Sparklehorse (aka Mark Linkous), produced by Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse and performed by a host of alternative music's biggest names: Pixies front man Frank Black, Iggy Pop and Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys among others. The whole project is pulled together in a visual representation created by moviemaker David Lynch (who also contributes vocal duties on two tracks). Due to a 'dispute' with EMI, it is not yet available on CD. At the moment the project exists only as a book of Lynch's photographs and a recordable CD onto which fans may burn the album from the various download sites it's been made available to. If you haven't downloaded an album before, this is the one you should begin with. The Strokes' Julian Casablancas puts in his best vocal performance to date on the jangly Little Girl and Rhys offers a typically twisted turn on the strolling Just War. Elsewhere, Black does his trademark loud-quiet-loud thing on the jack-hammering Angel's Harp. Probably most surprising of all is Lynch's contributions, the psychedelic Star Eyes and the country-tinged title track, which are both not only accomplished but sound like the efforts of a man 30 years his junior. Collaborations can often get weighed down by their ambitions, but by keeping a rein on their egos and letting the invited artists take a lead role in the composition and production, DM and Linkous have produced a stunning and multi-faceted piece of alternative art. If only EMI saw it that way.