TECHNO TWO-STEP

OK, here's the title of a new CD, name the artist: Innovator: Rythim is Rythim. If you guessed Little Richard, your music trivia and comedic senses are spot-on, but, unfortunately, dead wrong. Innovator is techno pioneer Derrick May's new 2-CD release on his Transmat Records. The music encased in the digi-grooves is ethereal, spacey -- best listened to while sporting your space helmet and gravity boots to fully feel the techno G-force. Tune your ear in and you're literally bathed in the rhythmic dance-friendly electronic sounds of "blip," "bloop" and "khuhs." Don't let this poor attempt at onomatopoeia discourage, though. There is a plethora of tracks that move the glutes (observe with your ear, "Phantom" and "Salsa Life"). Better yet is a track mix by Juan Atkins called "Wigging." There is no way really to describe techno; you either hate it or love it. But if you love it, you can't pass up the chance to have this collection by one of techno's founding furthers on your shelf and turntable.