I'm fairly confused by the name of DFA's new-ish signing, Shit Robot. Were they named, using UK vernacular, for a poor quality robot? Are they an actual next generation environmentally sound robot actually made of droppings? A robot dsigned to resemble shit, only sleeker and more efficient? Whatever the techno-scatological origins of Marcus Lambkin's project, it's the track record of those three little letters on their new Chasm 12" that demand at least a courtesy listen.

This song (the title track's b-side) has a bit of a false start, as digital scales that scream 80's give way to a muddy beat. It's not a bad beat, really, but pairing it only with tangental synth washes for roughly a minute and thirty seconds isn't wildly compelling. At that point a more focused synth line finally sneaks in, followed by some high pitched "siren on a UFO" effects. While those dynamic elements have gained your attention, the beat slyly picks up beneath the radar. Now, we've got some action! Slightly past the three minute mark, the constant beat drops out, the synth melody now much more trance-like than it has been seconds earlier (trance as in hypnotized, not Oakenfold). Though a slightly modified rhythm eventually comes back, bringing bongos with it, this beatless span is the track's artistic climax.