We've just not been able to stop listening to this amazing album from Wolf Eyes' Nate Young - an immense collection of dark, atmospheric synth constructions that sound like an unholy mix of Demdike Stare, Fabio Frizzi, Wolf Eyes and Photek's seminal "Ni - Ten - Ichi - Ryu" stripped of its beats* Nate Young's 'Regression' was a marked departure for the Wolf Eyes man - not just from the teeth-chattering noise his disciples are so familiar with, but also from his previous solo efforts. The horror-movie influenced synth and tape manipulations displayed a development of sound that bypassed the white noise he might have been associated with, but in volume rather than mood - and 'Stay Asleep' sees a similar shift. At no point does the record reach cacophonous volumes, but the effect is as moody and unsettling a record as you're likely to hear all year. Not the sort of thing you'd expect on NNA I hear you say? Well think again - these are deftly modern synthesizer constructions, and while harrowingly dark (think Friday 13th / Fabio Frizzi axis) retain an air of the new that smashes the retro/nostalgia jams of Umberto or Xander Harris to tiny pieces. Young is a tried and tested expert in music that seeps from the gutters of US subculture, and 'Stay Asleep' is his most assured statement to date with its slippery synthesized leads and heaving basslines. In another life this might be placed alongside the academic electronic works Delia Derbyshire, but Young operates in a parallel universe far removed from our own, away from the trappings of taste or trend. All that's left to do is sit back and absorb these alien transmissions, and marvel at the strength of character and originality once again displayed by this ever intriguing artist. (boomkat)