Robert Hood - Motor: Nighttime World 3 (Triple vinyl LP, CD)

I could talk shit for hours about how much I love Robert Hood's records, about what an awesome DJ he is and how he (and let's not forget Baby Ford!) laid the foundations for true minimal techno. Now some might say that techno doesn't really suite the album format but Hood has proved that's not the case time and time again and with this, the third instalment in his 'Nighttime world' series he blows that assumption clear out of the water. Volume One was released way back in 1995 on Vienna's Cheap Records, five years later the second 'Nighttime World' came out on his legendary M-Plant label. I honestly thought that was it and then twelve years later this drops!

The album is inspired by Julien temple's brilliant 'Requiem For Detroit' film which documents the rise and fall of Detroit's motor industry. From the off it's apparent that Hood utilises a fuller production style to the majority of his stripped back minimal output. The sound palette is way less restricted than we're usually used to (that can be said of the previous volumes too) yet it's clear we're still listening to one of Detroit's most loved and respected artists.

The stripped back skeletal rhythms are there in places but strings, acid baselines and lush chords take centre stage. The production is super grand and brimming with warmth and soul. Track after track it hits the mark every time. From the ghostly string orchestrations of 'Learning', the lush deep house of 'Torque One', the thumping robo-disco of 'Drive (The Age Of Automation), the dark acid that is 'Hate Transmissions' and the soulful experimental hip-hop of 'Assembly' it's a varied set of tracks that reward over and over again.

A superb transmission from the master builder. It's a shame the vinyl is quite pricey but it does come with a CD. Oh and the cover art depicting the Detroit cityscape as a waveform is a nice touch too. Very highly recommended.