Groove Armada
's ninth studio full-length,
Edge of the Horizon
, trades big beats for mood, transporting listeners to a cool, funky dimension where past crossover hits like "Superstylin'" and "History" make way for nostalgic, synth-based dreamscapes. Along with a team of inspired guests, the English duo create a world that exists somewhere between
Prince
and
Empire of the Sun
. The latter group's
Nick Littlemore
makes multiple appearances here, returning to the mix a decade after his last collaborations with the pair wound up on 2010's
Black Light
/
White Light
.
Littlemore
's contributions -- the
LCD Soundsystem
-in-space highlight "Get Out on the Dancefloor" and the persistent pianos-and-synths "Tripwire" -- are some of the more upbeat numbers on
Edge
, joining other standouts such as the sleek '80s funk of "Don't Give Up" and the slinky sheen of "Talk Talk," which features
James Alexander Bright
's intergalactic electronic touch. Fans of
Daft Punk
's
Random Access Memories
gem "Fragments of Time" will be delighted to see
Todd Edwards
, who delivers "Lover 4 Now," which sounds like
Wham!
's "Everything She Wants" went through a '70s time warp. Altogether,
is a pleasing trip through the psychedelic that bridges the vibes of a past era with sharp production, providing a calming comedown to balance the rest of
's catalog. ~ Neil Z. Yeung