Wagon Christ

With his musical roots firmly embedded in the dusty grooves of hip-hop, Luke Vibert's prodigious musical curiosity ranges across a variety of electronic genres. Initially working in the area of left field Techno, his Vibert/Simmonds album for Aphex Twin's Rephlex label gave a small hint at his coming directions. While that record's sounds were spiky and stark, there was also a sense of humor at work -- and a keen feel for a fresh beat. Further albums on the Rising High label featured ambient soundscaping and more notably twisted instrumental hip-hop. It's in the b-boy vein that Vibert truly developed a new and startling sound. While superficially similar to Trip-Hop, his music is more edgy and up-tempo, trading stoner vibes for a giddy playfulness and skewed renegade Funk. Even more out there are his records under the name Plug: crazy, high-velocity Jungle with more twists and turns than the Pacific Coast Highway.