Lost in Space
For the better part of 10 years, Laika’s been one of the best kept secrets in modern electronic pop. This retrospective is irrefutable proof. Comprised of Margaret Fiedler on vocals and former My Bloody Valentine engineer Guy Fixsen on everything else, Laika skipped through the UK charts during the ’90s on a fertile mixture of post-New Order synth heaviness, lush ambient harmonies and dastardly complex jazz rhythms, creating many memorable singles and three top-notch albums. The selections on Lost In Space, however, illustrate exactly why the group glanced off the American pop bubble: They’re too clever. From their biggest hit, the sprightly dour "Uneasy," to the rampant melancholic poetry of "Breather," Laika flaunts syncopated, unorthodox rhythms like 5/2 and 7/4 with as much melodic aplomb as Dave Brubeck. The release boasts a second disc with remixes and Peel Session cuts, but the first disc of Lost In Space is proof enough that Laika deserves serious reconsideration on their 10th anniversary.Heath K. Hignight--From URB Magazine