My Machine

It's been a while since a dance artist made a concept album of any real note, but Princess Superstar's My Machine is every bit the fantasy fuelled adventure it promises to be.

Our story is set in the far off dystopian future, where our heroine, in true Terminator-style, is beamed back to prevent the great revolution of 3005 and a world devoid of soul, habituated by unquestioning automatons. Still with me? Thankfully it is narrated, and told a great deal better this.

Musically, Princess Superstar, aka (Concetta Kirschner), is a cross between Neneh Cherry and Missy Elliott with a touch of Peaches thrown in to add the spice.

Producer by Arthur Baker, this is an unconventional slice of 21st century electro-pop. It's unorthodox and a brilliantly daring blend of genres, often straddling the thin line that separates the mainstream from the underground.

Full of personality, the singer/rapper is at the heart of this maelstrom existence where she is as thought provoking as she is witty - cuts like "Coochie Coo", "On Top Bubble" and "Perfect" would rival Misdemeanor in the hip-hop-house stakes.

"Sex, Drugs & Drugs" smacks you in the face like Suzi Quatro on speed jackin' to the sounds of the Scissor Sisters. "World Council Entertainment Dicktatorship" has a quirky Talking Heads-style to its wordology, while she drops acid on the housey "Initially".

It's an eclectic mix drawing elements from contemporary producers like Felix Da Housecat and Jacques Lu Cont.

It's taken five albums and many years to arrive at My Machine, but she is now certainly reaping the rewards of her labours. The one thing you can say about the Princess is that she defies pigeonholing - one minute rollin' with the homies, the next thrashing her guitar to an electro beat. At last, dance music with personality!