Planetary Assault Systems Temporary Suspension
Like many of his fans, I lost interest in Luke Slater’s career after 2002’s flawed […]
Like many of his fans, I lost interest in Luke Slater’s career after 2002’s flawed stab at accessibility, Alright on Top. That he’s resorted to his Planetary Assault Systems handle implies that Slater’s ready to return to the sort of heady, tough techno of his mid-’90s heyday, and Temporary Suspension delivers just that. This is sci-fi-inflected, peak-time material, full of psychedelic production touches and propelled by remorseless, tower-leveling beats, usually at panic-inducing, galloping clips. Most of the tracks here are disorienting, redolent of dystopian atmospheres and complex machinery gone awry, particularly on “Om the Def” and “Attack of the Mutant Camels.” Lacking the jaggedly funky electro elements of the best Luke Slater albums, Wireless and Freek Funk, Temporary Suspension finds PAS in full-on Andromeda Strain mode. The album’s a thrilling comeback from a major talent who’s regained his (inter)stellar touch.