Books On Tape (Fall 2003)

Todd Matthew Drootin makes happy fun-time techno, the kind of playful, whimsical music that would work best soundtracking Japanese anime or chase sequences involving Tonka trucks. He's a compulsive tinkerer; with their squishy sound effects, caffeinated tracks like ''See You in Tokyo'' and ''She's Dead to Me'' have the feel of push-button improv, as if Drootin is checking the full capabilities of his circuitry while he's recording. Unlike so much electro-funk, Blues offers a lot of interesting terrain to explore.