I Com
Weaving electroclash and Euro-sleaze through a strong set of tech-pop, Miss Kittin continues to evolve onI Com. Kittin is still known primarily for the campy, droll persona she perfected while collaborating with the Hacker (First Album), and especiallyFelix Da Housecat(Kittenz and Thee Glitz). But she brings more to the table than just a talent for irony; her 2003 mix recordRadio Caroline 1showed off an impressive authority in the studio.I Comshows the same ear for production, and makes an admirable effort to stretch, pushing songs forward with an aggressive futurism. The formula results in songs like "Dub About Me," which uses patient,Massive Attack-like development and a rude chunk of electric noise to induce a brooding hypnosis. It’s a cerebral record, but Kittin herself is such a natural tease you hardly care how much skill is involved: you’d rather grab a French-to-English dictionary to find out what salacious bits you can translate on songs like "3eme Sexe." Sophisticated and incorrigible,I Com's detached sensuality is tough to resist. --Matthew Cooke