"We're on a mission from God."

Being called the Beastie Boys of techno is quite a compliment, but one that may be a little unfair to Long Beach trio, Cirrus. While their combination of samples and loops with traditional guitar-bass-drums lineup is nothing new, their approach certainly is. While the B-Boys (and all their wanna-B's) start out with the "real" instruments and later add the electronic bits, Cirrus do the exact opposite. This results in a sound that - while an amalgam - is closer to true techno then many Prodigy songs. The opening track, also called "Back On A Mission" is a roaring collision of guitars and keyboards, rapping and sung lyrics. The Beastie Boys comparison is easy to draw, since they are white and they rap, but calling them the Sublime of the rave scene might be a bit more accurate. Their Long Beach roots, for one, but mostly because of the way they disseminate a wide range of musical styles and in the process create something entirely their own. Their sampling of Rev. Jesse Jackson amidst an orchestra, on top of some crazy loops is the perfect example of Cirrus' innovation. That the whole mish-mash is danceable is merely icing on the cake. "Abba Zabba" features some killer record scratching, but is deflated by a somewhat lame rap. Other tracks, like "Stop and Panic" and "Captain Cocktail" have their roots deeper into techno, while "Rock the Funky Joint" with its Death In Vegas-style basslines and "Break the Madness" with its heavy guitars and spooky chorus serve to once again remind you that the boys of Cirrus do their own thing.