Although I check out the British music magazines every time I go to the bookstore, it’s probably been two years since I bought one. In the past, its cover-affixed free CDs were like catnip to me, but as they became less adventurous, so did my willingness to fork over $10.

But now here’s one worth having: OK_COMPUTER, “free” with the February issue of MOJO magazine. With a tip of the hat to Radiohead (which adorns the mag’s cover), the disc is a 15-track collection of futurist electronic music, spanning from the 1960s to today. It begins with a double-dose of New Wave – with less-obvious cuts from The Human League and Gary Numan – but really finds its footing with Fujiya & Miyagi’s buoyant “Ankle Injuries.” While I’ve never heard of this act before, this 2006 cut is a wholly infectious feel-good anthem.

I also haven’t heard of The Peppers, but their 1973 “Pepper Box” sounds like it could have been made for today’s soulful dancefloors. The ’60s-era The Sounds of Tomorrow is represented with “Space Child,” which will appease the Joe Meek fans. Boards of Canada remixes an act named Clouddead, while the always-reliable Tangerine Dream is on hand with “Rubycon (Part One),” from 1975.

Only a couple of tracks are duds, and its wide range of discoveries (with just a hint of kitsch) reminded me of a couple of my all-time favorite compilations: SYNTH ME UP: 14 CLASSIC ELECTRONIC HITS and WIRED MAGAZINE PRESENTS: MUSIC FUTURISTS. Drive down to your local Borders now to avoid paying eBay-inflated prices later.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 17th, 2008 at 5:20 pm and is filed under Music Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.