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*** Laurent Granier, “Unreasonable Behaviour,” Mute. This French composer uses true techno, synthesizer-driven instrumentals as his blank canvas. Like William Orbit at his best, Granier then fleshes it out with a rich panorama of warm, jazzy and soulful grooves. “Unreasonable Behaviour” offers several examples of Granier at his peak, including the percussive “Downfall” and the funky, “Last Tribute From the 20th Century.” This is aural proof that techno can have soul and heart.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.