Not one to let a pesky thing like hearing damage get in his way, nu-school breaks producer and Fuel Records co-founder Tipper bounced back with a zeal for sonic experimentation. Surrounded marks his fourth full-length project and the latest installment in a career that has increasingly stepped further away from the abrasive d&b breaks and the (literally) smoking, mega-decibel soundsystems that he once helped pioneer. Tracks like “No Dice” delve smoothly into moody beats and spare instrumentals, providing the perfect background for a swank bar rather than a frenzied rave-more in line with where Tipper‘s original fans are probably chilling today.