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Released on Mike Shannon's Cynosure imprint, this 7 track EP, released to coincide with the label's 10th birthday, is a quality filled affair featuring a multi-talented motley crew of artists. While not quite as renowned as their Canadian contemporaries, be it Akufen's Musique Risquee or Tiga's Turbo records, Cynosure keep a purposely low profile, and for want of a better phrase, prefer to let the music do the talking.

Their first release in September 1999, 'The Focal Point', promised great things for the label - great things that for some reason or another, never quite materialised. While the labels provided a steady stream of interesting releases over the years, one-hit-wonders and perhaps most crucially, any kind of tangible publicity has continued to evade them. The ‘Under the Radar’ EP then is an aptly titled package, and ironically enough, may well be the release which kick starts the next generation for Cynosure.

The title track, from Shannon himself, is a techy number which incorporates some wonderfully stretched, sultry vocals. The vocal is a both unique and welcome addition to an excellently produced track.

The first remix arrives courtesy of Ricardo Villalobos and when you think about it, his presence here is hardly surprising. He despises US politics (so probably loves Canada’s liberalism) and is one of the most reclusive, underground figures in electronic music – a personality that essentially, acts as a mirror image to Cynosure’s underground ethos. The Chileans take on the track is quiet disappointing, would have been expected better from the guy who produced tracks like 'Fizheuer Zieheuer' and 'Easy Lee' as well as sound tracking a generation of clubbers with his take on Depeche Mode's 'Sinner in me.' 

The EP does however, atone for it's misgivings with Deadbeat's mix. Leftfield and spooky, it takes a few minutes to get going, but when it does, it's tech fuelled bliss. It’s simply fantastic stuff and easily the highlight of the package. Rozzo of Mountain People delivers a somewhat typical remix - his take on the track is warm house music with a nod to Detroit, basically then, the type of track Mountain People have cultivayed a career out of. While it’s an average effort, it’s by no means memorable.

The final three tracks are available in digital only format. The Wasted Chicago Youth remix is all bleeps, trumpets and attitude and makes for a nice addition to an overall steady package. Recent Cadenza signing Massi DL emphasises his career credentials with two offerings. The first, his ‘NYC deep dub mix’, does exactly what it says on the tin while his 'Loon' remix completes the package in esteemed fashion with an old school sounding house rework. The ‘Under the Radar’ EP is an impressive EP, yet I for one can’t see it helping Cynosure to emerge from out of the electronic music shadows. It’s simply too experimental in sound and not tailored to a wide audience. That said, something tells me that’s exactly what Shannon and his Cynosure cronies want to hear.

Artist: Mike Shannon Title: Under The Radar EP Label: Cynosure Recordings Tracklist Under the Radar - Mike Shannon's original mix Under the Radar - Ricardo Villalobos mix Under the Radar - Deadbeat mix Under the Radar - Rozzo mix Digital only Under the Radar - Wasted Chicago youth dub mix Under the Radar - Massi's NYC deep dub mix Under the Radar - Massimo Di Lena's Loon mix www.cynosure-recordings.com www.myspace.com/cynrecordings Our Rating: 7/10