Bill Laswell - Oscillations 2 (1998)

One of a string of drum and bass experiments from bassist/producer Bill Laswell, Oscillations 2 opens with an apocalyptic "Virus" that beats in fits, stops and starts, creating an insistent groove only to interrupt it again when you least expect it. The album is subtitled "Advanced Drum and Bass," and songs like "Autotopia" show how fast-paced, schizophrenic rhythms are superimposed on top of Laswell's deceptively simple bass lines, while ambient textures create a decidedly futuristic atmosphere. But the best piece, the 16-minute "El Hombre Invisible" is a fitting tribute to the late William S. Burroughs. Opens with a superbly melodic bass solo, Laswell uses otherworldly samples and subtle rhythms to create a hallucinogenic track that sounds like a drug addict's vision of paradise. It's not really drum'n'bass- like most of Laswell's genre works, the track defies easy classification - but like the rest of the tracks, it's inventive.