- Outside the realms of old school hip-hop and maybe, MAYBE DJ Shadow (before his painfully slow fall from grace) I have this general rule where I don't really get on well with artists that prefix DJ to their stage names. Though the reason for my prejudice escapes me at this point, a brief examination of my preferred digital music library seems to totally back up my null point a good 99% of the time.

After achieving some success in the German charts in the late nineties, it's been the best part of a decade since obscure German platter player DJ Koze released a full record of original, solo material. Coming into this endeavour I'd never once heard Koze's name uttered neither directly or in passing and honestly I wasn't expecting much more than some mildly entertaining euro-trash.

As per usual I've been proved wrong. Despite his absence DJ Koze's long time coming Amygdala is a gloriously weird and wonderful collection of odd electronic pop with a house / techno edge. Without being a household name, the guest artists that pop up here (hello Caribou, Matthew Dear, Apparat, etc.), providing mostly vocal impact are some of the most forward thinking and exciting members of a dauntingly up and down genre of music, a genre as polarising and perplexing as they come.

It's been a while since blatantly European intricacies and oddities have entranced me so: long, bright passages of summer, inter-weaved with English, German and gibberish, creating this genre bending, timeless, electronic music which defies expectations.

Luckily for anyone tricked into listening, DJ Koze has no shortage of ideas and variations on his theme, interspersing some serious, minimal grooves between the moments of Euro-wizardry and vocal ramblings. A couple of the longest tracks, both seeing Koze helming with no artistic interference, 'La Duquesa' and 'Marilyn Whirldwind' are two of the strongest, the pairing a welcome rejuvenation of my spirits as the record crosses its halfway point.

Amygdala taken as a whole is killer- but it's long - long enough to test the attention span or schedule of any regular human being whose idea of getting in the chill-zone would be limited to a couple of stiff cups of tea and maybe a No Doz or two.

Even though by the time album closer, and the appropriately titled 'NooOoo' rolls around I'm a bit exhausted, at the same time I feel a little proud of myself: it's akin to having completed a mental, mini-marathon. Sure my main muscle (er, the brain) is sore but I know tomorrow it'll be even bigger and stronger and most importantly, more prepared than ever to take on this terrifying and daunting new world, thankyou DJ Koze.

- Jay Edwards.