The 4th album from jungle pioneer Robert Haigh takes his trademark clean and melodic sound into new areas - not all of them drum & bass. The beats in the opening cut "Sound System" are hip hop, while a funky bass synth line cuts into Mr Oizo's action. The current interest in funk in d&b also makes a presence in the synth bassline of the deep and mellow tech-step roller "Brothers In Detroit" (that reportedly Bukem has been enjoying on dubplate). Of course on top of those, and in the lush hip hop heartbreaker "Native Place," are the dreamy synth chords and melancholic melodies that spell Omni Trio quality (which is expanded into Good Looking label territory during Big Bud's bonus remix of "Beyond The Fundamental").

The album's title track "Byte Size Life" (remixed on limited singles by Shimon & Mr Scruff) also plays with new sounds, this time within his usual framework of neat breaks and deep bass parts. A simple opening casio line recalls LFO's early music (and Photek's like-minded "Aleph 1") and continues through the track's contrasting mood shifts between lush and eerie pads. The sound of Photek's fat double bass-oriented tracks, and the mysterious vibes of Source Direct, are the signposts of another relatively sinister track "Assassins," that again walks a fine Omni Trio-style line between gentle and darkcore.

Here Haigh has successfully stretched out while maintaining his exquisite sound balance. In its fine groove between the raw and refined, Byte Size Life is capable of soothing even the most jaded of palettes.