Laurent Garnier--the original funky Frenchman, house and techno impresario, label boss, and DJ who first dared the world to believe that French dance music could be cool--returns with his first album since 1998"s distinctly patchy 30. Unreasonable Behaviour is much better. "Sounds from the Big Babou," the initial single from this long player, is a great lolloping hunk of funky analog filth, with a cool tune to boot: just what the world and its dancing dog like. "The Man with the Red Face" takes the usual techno-no-go area of saxophone solos and honks, and squawks it through some seriously energized tech-house grooves. "Dangerous Drive," with its minimalist techno, lives up to its name by packing a heaving dance floor into a Ferrari and taking it on a top-speed rampage down some twisty mountain tracks. In between there are moments of electro reflection, gently mellowing tech-house and flatulent synth sounds pootling around being friendly, chilled, and tuneful. Not that unreasonable at all. --Robert Heller