ECLIPSE? What eclipse? You want dark? Try this. Dare this. Risk this. It's pure black magic, people. A total eclipse of the soul.

Of course, Dean Garcia was never the chirpiest Poptart in the toaster back when he was one half of Curve, but this scathingly electronic solo project just sizzles with menace, spits fat in your eye and laughs at the burns. Standout track "Gasp For Air" reaches startling levels of nastiness, gagging on its own hellish loops and its vomit-scraping samples, the once-styled "fastest rapper in the world" JC 001 slowed down to a sneering smear of hatred throughout his shiversomely sinister guest-spot.

Elsewhere, it's no lighter and only slightly less beguiling, the Toni Halliday-featuring "Lola" totally disorientating and jumbled, one of those songs where, struggle as you might, you're never gonna find that first beat of the bar, you're never gonna own this music. "004" comes on like an out-take from the UNKLE album, nervously shelved for being too industrially aggressive, "Inflatables" like HAL from "2001" seeking bleep therapy, "Locusthead" like an army of T2's limbering up for a post-nuclear culling. Every song skidding past on drive-by rhythms, tearing at your skin. Attitude perfectly realised.

So bugger Cornwall. You're sure you want dark? Then be here noir.

**** (out of 5)

review by Robin Bresnark (nicked from 'Melody Maker', dated 7 August 1999)