Album: Leila, Blood, Looms and Blooms (Warp)

When trip-hop was appropriated by the chattering classes, it was time for its leading proponents to explore the dark side of their electronic arts. It is an area Leila Arab knows well: her 1998 debut 'Like Weather' was to 'Blue Lines' and 'Dummy' what 'Forever Changes' was to 'Sgt Pepper' and 'Pet Sounds'. And in the eight years since she last made a record, Iran-born Leila has lost both of her parents so it's fair to say that her music hasn't got any poppier. But Leila's bad-trip hop is never bad trip-hop: vocalists Terry Hall, Martina Topley Bird and others keep things ever absorbing, if a little murky for most tastes.

Pick of the Album: Terry Hall's 'Time to Blow' is rather special