World of Dougal [Audio CD] Dougal & DNA

Though it seemed a few years ago that happy hardcore had evolved completely into drum & bass, early jungle nostalgia and the emergence of goony two-step garage have revived the lucky form, an utterly artificial spinning together of sampled breakbeats, peppy synth lines, and chipmunk vocals. Dougal's incessant take on the subject is like a persistent sunbeam in a world of self-serious techno artists. He doesn't care that his natural instruments sound synthetic or that his brand of euphoria is only available in pill form. In his mind this sound is a full-fledged and heartfelt reality. Forget that this chipper bounce only lasts an hour--you might as well enjoy it before the world slows down again. --Ian Christe