MIND.IN.A.BOX R.E.T.R.O ALBUM DEPENDENT RELEASE: FEBRUARY 26, 2010 REVIEW: MARCH 4, 2010

There is always something mysterious and magical about a new release from Mind.in.a.box as they are so uniquely distinctive, many of their colleagues and followers watch and listen in awe. The technical and structural brilliance of their music is still present on the new "R.E.T.R.O" album, but most of the material this time consists of classic tunes from classic Commodore 64 games, playfully reinterpreted by the meticulous Austrians.

The Commodore theme also runs through their own compositions on the disc, like the dance bomb "8 Bits" and the blissful ambience of "Whatever Mattered". These are paired with apt cover versions of "The Last Ninja" and other melodies from the past I'm sure many of you retro gamers out there will recognize and thoroughly enjoy. All the arpeggios and bass sounds are fully intact, so to speak, but I miss some of the typical Mind.in.a.box sound on "R.E.T.R.O". They do the bitpop thing with elegance, but their own quirky song writing still shines the most here.

There is no "Change" or "Amnesia" on this awaited new album, but still plenty of earcandy for the fans, myself very much included.

NIKLAS FORSBERG