"Where would I be without all my toys? Where would I be without sample noise," Information Society once asked. On Spahn Ranch's latest release, "Beat Noir," the question becomes a mantra echoed throughout its laters of intricate drum loops, vocal snatches and techno chaos.

Much of the album seems more (italics)beat(un-italicize) than (italics)noir(un-italicize). Punchy rhythms and catchy vocals set the structure for "Remnants," giving it an Ecstasy-drenched rave feel. "Dubnosis" employs a series of African tribal drums and chants, while "Well Charged" blankets a hip-hop rhythm with swatches of expansive, gothic synth.

The instrumental "Ride Like Lightning, Crash Like Thunder" is the clear centerpiece of the album, a five-minute foray into postmodern drum tracking, tooling with dance beats and sampled trickery that builds upon itself to a dramatic crescendo.

For its impressive electronic skills, Spahn Ranch has trouble voicing emotion through these disaffected sounds. There is a distance -- and perhaps that's intentional -- in this music which sounds so much like the soundtrack for a disenchanted age.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in BAM magazine.