Cosmopolis

Praised equally by surf god Dick Dale and Ministry's Al Jourgensen, Laika & the Cosmonauts are some of modern music's most vibrant explorers. Their first release in four years, ''Cosmopolis'' is a surf, rock and jazz fueled trip through the past 20 years of Laika's career and including material never before released in the U.S. Renowned for the technical prowess of their fuzz-drenched, tremolo-happy surf rock, Laika sounds like a 50's sci-fi film soundtrack interpreted by David Gilmour, and ''Cosmopolis'' is no exception. The album also continues the band's experimentation with elements of funk and world music, rendering sounds that would not be out of place on works by dj's and producers like Thievery Corporation or Mark Farina. Weighing in at an astounding 27 tracks, the album is their most extensive work to date and promises to spread the word about Laika's world class chops and mind-expanding sound to another generation of music lovers.