Sometimes, you just have to lash out the cash, and hope the reviews are accurate. In fact, that’s pretty much what I’m asking you to do here, I guess.

As you can probably guess by the fact it’s linked to in the column to the right, I read and enjoy Word magazine. I like it, not least because they summarise the review using actual words, and not stars (for fun, when I see a film poster with ***** on it, I pretend it’s a plural swearword).

Anyway, in the latest issue, they had a roundup review of a handful of techno and trance albums. It might surprise you to know that I adore euphoric and/or progressive trance music, but I do (Hybrid’s a particular favourite), so I read the review with interest. In it, they referred to the album ‘Metanarrative’ by Claro Intelecto as being ‘music to stare out of windows by’. Oh, I thought, hel-lo.

A quick search (engine) around the interweb produced very little info on the CD, and the usual online sources (for example: tall one-breasted warrior woman) seemed to suggest that it would be an import for about £15, which felt like slightly more than I wanted to gamble (yes, I could download it, but I wanted to have a copy in my hands, to feel and hold and smell and okay I’ll stop now).

So, I looked around a bit more, and lo and behold I found this – the site of the label that the album’s actually issued on, where you can get the CD, including postage, for £8.95.

I’ve got mine, and if you’re into this kind of music – which, as I say, I am – it’s 40 minutes of classy trance, closing with a track called ‘Beautiful Death’ which didn’t kill me (or anyone else, as far as I know) but which is indeed beautiful. You can listen to some samples at the link above, I think, and get an idea of whether it’s your thing.

As I said earlier today: Go on, support the independent folks instead of giving money to Global Omnicorp Inc. You won’t regret it.