Various Artists, Ghostly Swim (Ghostly International, 2008)

Listen: “Chain”

Ghostly Swim is the latest collabo between the brains in mason jars at [Adult Swim] and a like-minded record label, following such titles as Chrome Children (with Stones Throw) and Definitive Swim (with the Def Jux crew). With the reliably sleek Ghostly International doing the curating this time around, Swim begins with its latest signees, Michna and The Chap. The former’s “Triple Chrome Dipped” is a bit of burbly electro-pop that blurs the line between analog and plugged-in, while the latter skitter mid-period Stereolab across bursts of brash guitar pop. Dabrye is along for the ride with the typically awesome “Temper,” Osborne travels into the depths of Detroit electronic history for the swinging “Wait a Minute,” Matthew Dear hits with the sophisticated scratches and buzzes of “R +S,” and Kill Memory Crash, aka Ghostly’s vessel to relive what was best about Ministry and Nitzer Ebb, turns up with the retooled industro grind of “Hit + Run.” Meatwad wears an Al Jourgensen wig for that one.

Elsewhere on Swim, Ghostly stocks the waters with Detroit up-and-comer Deastro (the terrifically pulsing instrumental “Light Powered”), soundscape-type stuff from Tycho (”Cascade”) and Aeroc (”Idiom”), and two deep cuts in the center with “Traffickers” and “Chain” from Reflecting Skin and School of Seven Bells respectively. (Bells is the new project of ex-Secret Machines guy Ben Curtis and On!Air!Library! vets Alejandra and Claudia Deheza.) Both tracks operate in a nether-zone between techno influence, pop melody, and mild-tronic software groove, which is a solid midpoint for a lot of the stuff on this set. All told, it’s another home run for the [Adult Swim] music series, not the least of which because it’s entirely free. — Johnny Loftus

Download Ghostly Swim fo’ free here.

Tags: Ghostly Swim, Ghostly International, Adult Swim, Michna, Osborne, Deastro, Stereolab, Dabrye, Stones Throw