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The term unique is thrown around all too easily these days. A condition that I believe stems from today's ill conditioned, ADD-riddled, Shuffled generation - our short terms memories are shot to pieces. People forget what came but a handful of years ago and claim something to be fresh, unique and exciting when it's a mere re-hash of something we danced to five years ago. Need an example? Check out any fidget record and compare it Tidy Trax's wonky Untidy Dub series from the turn of the century. Now tell me I'm not wrong. Perhaps I'm just getting old? 

Not too old to appreciate, this, however. And this really is unique. Yes, there are obvious reference points (jazz vibes are in abundance, the deep eeriness of Detroit is never far away and there's a heavy twang of fairy tales in the air) but combined, these reference points, together with DoP's inimitable creative style, make something rather special indeed.  

We begin with Blanche Neige - that's Snow White to you and me. Igniting subtly with a soft kick and palpitating needles of noises, listen closely and you'll catch the sound of kids skylarking deep in the background. Slowly we gather momentum - Beach Boy-style harmonies err their way into the mix as the percussion becomes more prominent.  

Suddenly everything drops. The dancefloor is momentarily frozen. Then in come Jonathan Illel's vocals - a recitation of Brothers Grim. Snow White in French never sounded so pensive, dramatic and, dare I say, sexy. A gravely gravitas it lingers like cigar smoke before blast off where all the original elements, plus extra percussion leap back into the mix. 

And the fun doesn't stop there - the B features Noze, the band who allegedly got DoP into this dance music mess in the first place. What follows is a smoky, piano led jam that's drenched in jazz. Led by lazy horns, Noze's misfit piano riff and Jonathan Illel's haunted vocals - this time he's singing from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet - this is the ultimate grab-your-girl-and-swing-swing-swing number. Jaunty piano cascades hint at a grand finale, but as ever with DoP, and indeed Noze, the groove is over before you know it.  

So, that's fairy tales, Shakespeare, jazz, funk and heaps of originality - I think we can safely call this release unique...

Artist: DoP Feat. Noze Title: Blanche Neige Label: Circus Company Tracklist: Blanche Neige Blanche Neige (kindercut) Romeo www.myspace.com/dopdopdop www.circusprod.com