Working in a sonic palette formed by the simultaneous mid-'80s peaks of Detroit techno and synthpop, Dekstop's three tracks were assembled in a completely post-millenial manner, passed back-and-forth between Curd and Thompson via the Internet. Granting one another the freedom to add and subtract from the songs as they saw fit, Thompson and Curd each assert their individual voices without dominating the record; a chorus of harmonizing Curds enriches the heaven-bound "Liberty," while Thompson's Headband and Electric Six-honed rhythmic sensibilities get every track ready for the dance floor.

There's a refreshing lack of predictability to Desktop — witness the yacht rock-smooth coda of "Too Much"—but the EP falls just short of the hooky heights reached by its creators' main musical gigs. Nonetheless, it's a strong debut — an un-forbidding gateway into dance steeped in the traditions of the genre, and an outsider statement that shouldn't offend the faithful.

Recommended Tracks: "Liberty," "Fired Up," "Too Much"

-Erik Adams