Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia answers Deep Dish co-conspirator Sharam"s recent solo Global Underground release (GU29: Dubai) with one of his own: Taipei. The journey starts with a mellow house vibe that has both atmospherics and funk in plentiful supply. Francois Dubois"s "I Try" greets the listener with a shimmering organ line, Myself"s "Barbeque" gives an idea of what it might be like to hear a ghost talking through a vocoder, and the lilting string section of Julien Jabre"s "Swimming Places" will melt the ice in your drink. The direction changes with the molten electro of Booka Shade"s "White Rooms," and from there it"s off to the races. Disc 2 hits the ground running, as the industrial menace of Nitzer Ebb"s "Control I"m Here"--which comes off as even creepier than the original--sets the stage for an unforgiving trip through the darker provinces of dance music. While a number of tracks such as Nic Fanciulli"s "Lucky Heather" are inescapably engaging, others, like Robbie Rivera"s "Float Away" (with its barely passable lyrics) don"t fare as well. Taken as a whole, Dubfire fans will be happy that the DJ has pulled no punches, though it"s likely that listeners who love the first disc will find the second a little punishing for their taste. Perhaps this is the price of eclecticism. --Brent Kallmer