Angel Milk

The electronic outfit Telepopmusik (Fabrice Dumont, Stephan Haeri (a.k.a. 2Square), and Christophe Hetier (a.k.a. Antipop)) followed in the footsteps of Air, Les Rythmes Digitales, and Dimitri From Paris and established their own musical stylings in the arena of French dance music. The core trio formed in 1997 after burning out from playing with other bands. Their debut single Breathe was popular among the club circuit for several months, but by early 2003 the song became a mainstream smash thanks to its inclusion in television ads for the Mitsubishi Outlander SUV. Three years on from their debut album Genetic World instrumental trio Telepopmusik return with a cinematic second, Angel Milk, this time with the aid of three vocalists. Although technically classed as electronica, they have a keen sense of orchestration that shows a willingness to include strings, brass, piano and even harp. Meanwhile the singers ensure that while the album remains down tempo it contains plenty of variety.

If there were an award for the album with the most appropriate title, surely Telepopmusik's Angel Milk would be a top contender. Telepopmusik's sophomore effort is filled with beautiful backing tracks. Pillows of soft synth slowly emerge while pianos, harps, brass instruments, electronic ticks, and glitches stroll in and out of the picture as they please. Anyone familiar with the template set by Genetic World will be surely chomping at the bit for the goodies on display here. All the familiar elements are in place – the candyfloss-light beats, the grandeur of the orchestral washes, the hints of discordant electronica and clatter – but wrapped up in the most laid-back accessible tunes you could want. The use of three vocalists – the Kelis-like Angela McCluskey, rapper Mau, and new addition Deborah Anderson, whose breathy tones lend an extra sheen to her songs – only adds to the appeal. Comparisons to Air's Moon Safari are inevitable, but a closer relation would be Zero 7's Simple Things. Even then, there's diversion here, like the perfect should-be Bassey showtune of Love’s Almighty, or the deceptive ending of 15 Minutes, which lasts that long, but is about a minute of tune, followed by 14 minutes of silence.

This subdued electronica landscape is something to get lost in, and while it's nothing you haven't heard before, it's exactly what headphones crave on rainy days. The overall preciousness may be trying to anyone the least bit jaded, but Telepopmusik know their way around a studio and can deliver a velvety soundscape that other trip-hoppers would die for. Angel Milk can be recommended as a good after hours album, providing you're content to let the music wash over you, and its subtle tour of down tempo musical styles will keep you largely satisfied, if perhaps a touch melancholic.