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Alternative Press November 1998 Various Artists: Somatic Dosing Unit BLICD003 A lurid snapshot of Dallas' warped electronic music underground Beneath Dallas' affluent, conservative veneer there thrives a supremely strange music scene. This compilation highlights the city's warped electronic-music underground, where acts like Jethro Tilton, Sphota, Sanguinaria and Prison Rapes Scenes wrench trip hop, dub and ambient into grotesque shapes. Bolstered by esoteric film-dialogue amples, most of tracks here insinuate themselves into your mind like a strong narcotic. Headed by Joel Zoch(who's now working aon a project called Sound with ex-Vas Defrens Organization member Eric Lumbleau), this label has the potential to infect electroni music with several strains of strange viruses. Dave Segal

Chart Magazine November 1998 Various Artists: Somatic Dosing Unit BLICD003 As the birthplace of Butthole Surfers and Pain Teens and the adopted home of Ministry, Texas seems to have a knack for breeding some seriously fucked-up music, and whatever force is causing this has obviously infiltrated the Dallas offices of Beautamous Loaf International. Compiled by label head Joel Zoch (who also has a hand in most of the groups on the BLI roster), this disc spotlights such cheerfully named combos as Prison Rape Scenes and Jethro Tilton who offer up dozen tracks drawn mainly from the dark dub and experimental trip-hop schools of sound. However, don't think that "dub" and "trip- hop" mean that you're in for some easy, ambient listening - the cold and menacing undertones and macabre samples make things a bit too chilling for the chill-out lounge. Think Scorn on a bad day, and you're halfway there.

Godsend Magazine Online http://www.xoanon.com/godsend.htm Various Artists: Somatic Dosing Unit BLICD003 The guys behind the Dallas label Beautamous Loaf put together this collection which showcases their many guises and projects. These groups, JETHRO TILTON, PRISON RAPE SCENES, SPHOTA, SANGUINARIA, and PANTHEON 23 range from melodic and intense breakbeat workouts to more chilly ambient experimental sound manipulations, all to good effect. They eschew vocals (aside from littered voice samples or tape manipulations) and focus on their inventive blends of techno, ambient, and experimental post-industrial percussion and noises. A very enjoyable and worthy album. Todd Zachritz

XLR8R #21 1996 Sphota: Noos 12" WAX002 Tracks with breaks are blowing up as of late, probably due to a release like this. This is not like the loud clatter of the Chemical Brothers, nor the lullness of Portishead, this is Texas psychedelic hip-hop and if you don't like it then "fuck you, we're from Texas." This is in a league by itself, original noises and sample bites combine to give it a space hop feel more so than a trip feel, not to say this ain't trippy, but it's plenty spacy as well, hell I don't know what to call this? I do know one thing, with a mix titled "Vulcan Afro Unity", "Noddyness", and "Vulcan Death Grip" mix you don't know what to expect, but expect the unexpected and you wont go wrong, very creative piece of wax.

XLR8R #18 1995 Sphota: Satanic Mushroom Rite 12" WAX002 Released this spring by the Hazy Daze crew down in Dallas, this is record shop/label Innergalactic Groove Source's first release. A five track ep of multi-various styles, this is a crazy collection of electro-funk, house-disco, mental dub, and hip-hopishness. My favorite is the 'Satanic Mushroom Rite' which is a far-out dub track, psychedelic, and way, way gone. There are some nice dancefloor movers on here as well, so keep an eye out for its 'Wax On/Wax Off' stamp in the record's center and watch for future releases.