To classify the sounds on Chessie"s debut album, Signal Series, as simply drum & bass just doesn"t do the disc justice. Stephen Gardner--Chessie mastermind and onetime member of indie rockers Lorelei--turns electric guitar, loops, and bass into something truly unique, a ride. Inspired by the rhythms of trains, Signal Series is 10 cuts of atmospheric samples, dub-influenced bass lines, and guitar on top of furious breakbeats that seemingly can"t stop moving forward. "Clear Cut" is a locomotive going over a wooden bridge--danceable yet rickety; on "At Grade" the pace slows down, the bass gets deeper, and you can"t help feeling that your machine is strained. On "Tourist Union #63" the beats fade out, and you"re suddenly in a tunnel. As concepts go, the train theme is so subtle, you may not even notice it. But once you do, you can"t help getting aboard. Easily one of 1998"s best electronica discs. --Jason Verlinde