Review - Unknown Possibility Vol. 2

In 1993, Fumiya Tanaka, a DJ/producer from Kyoto, Japan, set up the first Japanese dance label, Torema Records, to cater to DJs wanting only vinyl. Since then, Tanaka has DJ-ed around the globe and released many EPs and compilations. "Unknown Possibility Vol. 2," his second project on the eclectic EFA label, is not exactly dance music, so for lack of a better term, we'll call it "funky minimal groove."

Every song is called a "drive," because each is a beat-driven electronic piece. Drives "1" and "7" have a very world-beat feel to them, while "2," "3" and "4" could fit in as parts of a hard-hitting Underworld album. Therein lies the problem: All the tracks sound like parts rather than a whole. So "Unknown" seems more of a DJ exercise than a stand-alone entity. Each drive goes on for way too long without any change. If monotony and repetition annoy you, "Unknown" ... will ... drive ... you ... insane.