Before , , and the late made Los Angeles famous (or infamous) for in the late '80s, the city's community was best known for a high-tech, futuristic approach that owed a lot to 's 1982 classic, In the early to mid-'80s, L.A.-based electro-hoppers like (the group that belonged to before ), , and didn't get much respect from East Coast hip-hoppers, who insisted that their music wasn't gritty enough. But those artists did enjoy a cult following in Southern California. Besides, never claimed to be a hardcore rapper; , his debut album of 1984, doesn't pretend to be a , or release any more than claimed to be a purist. The closest this LP comes to an vibe is the single ; all of the other tracks offer a synthesizer-driven blend of music, and . Though is a strong influence on this release, it is hardly 's only influence -- his sound also owes a debt to Germany's seminal (whose innovations greatly influenced , as well as Middle Eastern and North African music. never had great rapping skills, but he was definitely an original and imaginative producer/writer -- and his risk-taking spirit serves him well on definitive, high-tech tunes like and isn't the only LP that is worth owning, but most fans insist that it is his most essential and consistent album -- and they're absolutely right. ~ Alex Henderson