The Guardians Of Dalliance have been working hard to bring jazz into drum & bass, fusing sounds into their own tracks since 1996, and compiling similar artists on the Transcentral Connection collections, as well as the recent Professor Tsung's Art Of Science Funktion disc. Now after developing things through a series of singles and compilation appearances, the sound of their debut album, The Diffusion Rooms, has reached a lushly produced and finely orchestrated level.

After the heavy Bukem influence of their early tracks like '96's "Laid Up," they've reached back to the earlier jazz of the big band sound, first heard in their "blow-out" 1998 track "New Swing Jazz" (included here). What remains of the Bukem style is the deep panorama ("Blue Green"), and particular instances of similar effects and ambiences. But now a wider orchestration has replaced the Good Looking-style wall-of-sound, as The Guardians keep things lively amongst horn, sax, piano, synth, vibes and organ parts in the multi-instrumental melody lines of band-style tracks like "Calling" and "5/4 Line." They are also now joined by vocalist Sophie Perks who brings a mellow soul to the eerie ambience of "Transparent" and a "pop" focus to "Twice Round" which could follow the EZ Rollers onto the charts.