MOBY dons a new moniker and ditches his sampling of US blues giants to turn techno with a surprising collection of hardcore dance.

Soft and chilled is usually Moby's style, but Baby Monkey reveals an artist who has perhaps hankered for some time to release a record with a rough, speeded-up sound. Echoes Of Play and 18 still shine through from time to time, with string-based themes running through many of the 12-tracks.

But the new name is indicative of a man who, in this instance, has largely unshackled the constraints of the TV advert tracks that have won him critics and plaudits. From the moment the opening track, Gotta Be Loose In Your Mind, kicks in, it is obvious this is a very different set of sounds - with rapid drum beats and synth-based keyboards predominant. Like the track of the same name, Baby Monkey may border at times on the Obscure, but 'Mobyites' will find much to admire in Voodoo Child's cot.

Updated: 08:35 Thursday, February 26, 2004