I have to admit that when I hit the record stores, I look for familiar names. That means I miss out on a lot. Enter Proto Tracks Volume 01: I Luv S.F. This new subscription service delivers a CD full of new and rare tracks sampling the weird and wonderful world of electronic music every other month. It's a nice idea, especially with trustworthy musical curators like S.F. fixtures Jonah Sharp (Reflective Records/Spacetime Continuum) and Ms. E (True Intent/Future Breaks FM) – but what about the tunes? Well, if I Luv S.F. is any indication, Proto Tracks is onto something good. Not only is there a solid, eclectic representation of genres, but also the individual cuts (many brand new or only previously available on rare 12"s) are strong enough to stand on their own. Prolific N.Y. producer Timeblind kicks things off with the thick and dubby "Rastabomb" on Kit Clayton and Susan Costabile's Orthlorng Musork label. The funk flows from Digital Underground's Money B and Subkonscious Records' Psychokinetics, knobs are twiddled to expert effect by Tigerbeat6's Electric Company and Cex, and Ibid keeps the electro chirpy and choppy on "Prolix," from Exact Science. Producer Sharp does an excellent job at capturing the constantly mutating S.F. scene while keeping the CD's vibe together with careful programming. Add to this a thick book of additional info, and I Luv S.F. gives an enlightening tour of the challenging, murky underground. (Peter Nicholson)

Various artists
Independent Sounds: Amoeba Music Compilation Volume II (Hip Hop Slam/Amoeba Music)