Nightmares on Wax is one of those legendary one-man bands who crop up every now and then (also known as George Evelyn, but that doesn't sound as cool). Even the "merely good" work by people such as he is astounding, inventive and really fun.

And "Carboot Soul," his third album, is no exception: it's an amazing mixture of chillout electronica and acid jazz. It's a bit less hazy than his 1995 "Smoker's Delight," but that isn't surprising -- here Evelyn pulls on various influences to flavour his music. The title fits this album: it's soulful, yet it has as many influences as a "carboot" rummage sale.

It begins on a symphonic note in the epic "Les nuits," which seems to herald a new music direction. Don't be deceived. The symphonic build-up leads to funky grooves and jazzy flavours in "Morse," which continues to the brassy "Easejimi," the mellow murmurs of "Finer," and the wonderfully peculiar "Argha Noah." Say that last title out loud, and you'll understand the joke.

But there is a slightly more delicate style near the end, when Evelyn switches to the gently rippling guitar of "Fire in the Middle," the melancholy acid jazz of "Survival," and the eerier, more symphonic sound of "Capumcap." Evelyn ends the album on a high note, with those sensitive, lower-key songs.

It's hard to find groups as good as Nightmares on Wax -- scour the top hundreds, and you won't find anything like this. I personally found "Carboot Soul" in a tiny hole-in-the-wall music store, in the "used" bin, although it's hard to imagine why anyone would discard an album like this.

Despite the chillout label, Evelyn's music has a sort of relaxed warmth that counterpoints the icy sound of many other bands. He also has a good ear for samples and beats, lacing them with razor-sharp drums and some wonderful brass instrumentation. Sara Winton's rich voice is used well, crooning, "A bottle like a model shipwreck/where did it come from?/Where will it go?/A face without a name/survival..."

"Carboot Soul" is another triumph by Nightmares on Wax, and another wonderful display of George Evelyn's considerable talents. An absolute joy.

Literally everyone who has heard this CD wants to buy it or get a copy of it. Gave it to my girlfriend to listen to at work - now the whole office loves it and tells her to turn it up and asks where to buy. Her mother listend to it - now shes getting both "Nightmares on Wax" for christmas. Friends want me to burn them copies. People aske me to borrow it. Receptionist at work bought it. Simply great music that everyone can enjoy. It is DEFINATELY WORTH THE MONEY. I GUARANTEE IT.

Carboot Soul is aptly decribes this disc; bleeding with the influence of the Philly sound and James Brown, this disc has yet to leave my car's changer.

Evelyn creates a blend of downbeat techno a breed apart, in fact I cringe from the term which would lump NoW in with K&D. His beats are mainly of the soul and hip hop variety with no four-on-the-floor stuff. The samples are tasteful, and there are some transcendent live elements to the tracks. I find it hard to compare this album to any in the sonic wallpaper business. I love the genre (I have about 40 discs which apply), and yet this disc is singular in its listenability: without dissent, every one of my friends for whom I have played it has loved it, even card-carrying technophobes.

Variety exists in a structure which nevertheless carries a thread. Soulful bass and delicate instrumentation manifest themselves throughout, sprouting as everything from a Delfonics sound ('Morse' and 'Capumcap')to tracks which Jurassic 5 would love to get their hands on ('Ethnic Majority'). 'Ease Jimi' is reminiscent of JB's funk.

Top to bottom, this album is tight and takes its place on the mantle next to Thievery Corporation and Kruder & Dorfmeister for great cruising/ lounging/ afternoon music, though it resembles them only in its application. If repetition has previously driven you away from this type of music, download "Morse," "Ethnic Majority," and "Ease Jimi" as testers, then give this album a try.

Truly one of the better discs I've ever heard. "Fire in the Middle" and "Capumcap" alone are worth the price of the entire album. Start to finish, not a single bad song.

Nightmares other albums are pretty good, but this album is head & shoulders above almost all other downtempo I've ever heard (other than St. Germain's "Tourist", but that album is simply mind-boggling).

Other downtempo to explore: Bonobo, Projections, Llorca.

I buy at least 100 cd's per year, across many generes.

Nightmares on Wax's Carboot Soul is definitely in my top 5 for 1999, and probably through the millenium.

It is a soothing, trippy soundtrack of life recording that has a place in my cd player morning, noon and night.

If you buy only one "electronica" cd this year (and that term does not adequately define their sound) make Carboot Soul the one.