DJ Vadim

Conversation' on which this LP from The Bug is based, suffice to say you've missed one of the most atmospheric films ever made. Originally released at the big-beat apex of 1997 (shudder), 'Tapping The Conversation' was an attempt for Sir Kevin Martin and DJ Vadim (collectively The Bug at that time) to explore themes highlighted in the movie concerning societies increasing dependence on watching itself and, whilst they are keen to stress that the album contains "absolutely no sonic or visual samples from the film", the music does relate to specific characters and tracts contained within it. However, whilst a working knowledge of Coppola's back catalogue would likely add a layer of context to the LP (although if you'd only ever known him through 'Jack' why would you bother), it is by no means a necessity; with The Bugs paranoid dub-hop a nuanced narrative in its own right. Opening through the guttural march of 'Harry's Theme', The Bug sound not unlike 'Private Press'-era Shadow collaborating with The Specials – grafting breezeblock breaks onto a desolate backdrop of deserted sink estates and broken bottles. Whilst tracks like 'Invasion of Privacy' and 'The Director' do belie their eight year heritage (through a general sense of naivety rather than any specific element), the majority of 'Tapping the Conversation' more than holds it own; with particular highlights the sparse bass of 'Nightmare Messenger' and the abstract slouch of 'Those Tapes Are Dangerous'.