The excitable new-school electro drum'n'bass of
Friend formed part of the highly respected Swedish label Dot, which broke out of the gate in early 1997 with four impeccable EPs -- one each by
Hab,
Tupilaq,
Quant and
Friend. Both "Chromosome for Sale" and the later "Sauna Sessions" were pieces of electro-jungle fusion tuned with an unusually fine hand, and on
Friend's double-pack
Single of the Week EP, he received help from friend
Doktor Kosmos (of
Komeda) for a surprisingly straightahead quasi-pop song.
Friend's debut album
Hot Rod appeared on Dot in September 1997.
–
John Bush, Rovi