There's an intrigung mixture of innocence and sophistication at the heart of Miami. Their untutored vocals play back and forth over desperately simplistic beats, yet the technical virtuosity on display in both Ai Kajiya's violin and the layers of sampling that Ai Kobayashi weaves in balances the naivety of the vocals and rhythm perfectly.

After the self-introduction of "Atami", "Fancy" is a sparse techno hip-hop hoedown and the folky harmonies of "Kamome To Watashi" flirt with the edges of both poignant and sinister without ever quite committing to either, but nevertheless creating an atmosphere that draws you into their strange world completely. The next two tracks kick up the tempo a bit, but once the atmosphere has descended, its not in any hurry to go anywhere soon, with "Shiratama Disco" probably the highlight, but "Ace" still every bit a winner in its own right. -Ian Martin, Nov.14.04

Great Composers