The first full-length release on Manchester’s Mate Recordings marks a musical alliance between English and Finnish cities that may appear strange on paper, but makes perfect sense musically-both towns being famous for noncomformist musical innovation, groundbreaking club nights and freezing cold weather. Music Is Better Volume One champions such oddball electro proponents as Boys of Scandinavia, Caution! Horses and Alchohell-artists who favor songwriting over breaks and bleeps. The resulting nouveau disco jams should appeal equally to punk-funkers, purists and fans of the Smiths.