Philadelphia's crunkstep diamond Starkey drops his second album for Planet Mu. 'Ear Drums And Black Holes' consolidates the string of single tracks, 'OK Luv', 'Stars' and 'Multidial', with an array of new vocal tracks featuring Hitomi from the King Midas Sound and Dokkebi Q projects, UK Grime MC P Money and crunky Texan Cerebral Vortex of 215 The Freshest Kids. Those single tracks are amongst the best on offer, while the rest of the album comes off like he's spent the last 12 months listening to The Dream, absorbing his romantic synth futurism into 'Alien Styles' or 'Space Craft' and the the vocal cuts 'Numb' feat. P Money and perfctly suiting Hitomi's meek murmur on 'New Cities'. If it's bangers you're after, step straight to the wilin' 'Fourth Dimension' and the squiggly 'Fidelio', but on the most part this album leans towards lovers sci-fi-step for the 2010 kids. Good stuff.
