Cinematic Orchestra - 'The Man With The Movie camera' (Ninja Tune) Released 26/05/03

Re-writing or adding a soundtrack to a classic can sometimes prove problematic (Metropolis to the strains of Freddy Mercury?), so it is with some trepidation that you approach CO's soundtrack to Dziga Vertov's 1929 documentary chronicling 24 hours in an idealised Soviet Society.

But (thankfully) high concept, strokey-chin tosh this aint, as over 17 tracks this London based collective led by Jason Swinscoe, deliver something that might befit a piece of Stalinist propaganda and actually add to rather than take away from what was originally intended. Atmospheric instrumentation and innovative application of scratching and beats succeeds in giving it both a 'classical' and 'up to date' edge respectively, as after a few listens you start to ponder how the documentary and soundtrack might sit together. On tour at the moment (see www.cinematicorchestra.com for details), check out the Cinematic Orchestra live for further foray's into genuinely innovative multi-media.