This compilation has been out a little while now but just has to be brought to your attention. In it Pussyfoot Records give a more than generous helping of down tempo goodness, mostly of the spaced-out variety. If you choose to go digital you’ll get 35 tracks, and believe me they are worth it! As the fishy title indicates, it’s a selection that doesn’t take itself too seriously and allows for thinking outside the box. With that in mind we can move one minute from a superb, cinematic track like Into The Cosmos to the upbeat excellence of Nick Faber’s ‘Dancing At The End Of The Universe’, or from the strobey outlines of Ezra Hames’s synths on ‘Lightseeker’ to the winning double of Rye Corner Audio’s ‘Deep Space Probe’ and Luke Haines’ ‘Deep Space Junk’. Some tracks are a bit bonkers, taking the likes of Sun Ra on board, while others are expansive and relaxing, or packed with rhythms and a bit more energy. With established names like Howie B, Skylab, Rui Da Silva and Jacknife Lee this was never likely to be a miss, but as it turns out Space Is The Plaice is a positive hit, blissful, stimulating and unpredictable in equal measure. It is essential and not to be missed!
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
