Timo Maas
Loud

As Far as Superstar DJ/Artist/Producer albums go, this in one of those that plays in the Premiership, with a load of good collaborations and a good pop sensibility. The strong points for me are the Beck-ish 'Ubik' (I wonder if the title is a homage to the classic 808 State floorfiller?), the 'trance-portishead' excursion 'Help Me' featuring demure breathy vocals from the shouty girl who 'hated you so much' Kelis and Finlay Quaye's first class vocal graffiti written large on the wall of 'Caravan', in my opinion the best track.All in all, it's a very slick and incredibly polished record...

....That is unfortunately the problem....so highly polished that I can't see anything beneath the sheen. Maybe I was looking for some soul, but all I got was my own reflection. A DJ since the age of 13, Timo Maas comes across as knowing little of the world outside clubland and compares unfavourably with people like Norman Cook who've genuinely straddled genres with their careers. As it stands, this is ideal background music for the folk who used to religiously attend the Ministry of Sound, and I guess it'll probably sell well, but for my mind, unless Mr. Maas starts fking his st up and taking risks, he's unlikely to be shaking any musical foundations.

....As Far as Superstar DJ/Artist/Producer albums go

Hmmm..maybe the first line said it all.