I love the way this man makes a drum loop. Silky smooth with a heavy jazz influence, this album makes for an interesting listen. Definitely a bit repetitive at times, but there’s enough variation to keep the songs fresh. Something I would put on late at night while driving with me, myself and my thoughts.

With beats ranging from downtempo to big beat, the variety of drum here alone is enough to keep 'The 5th Exotic' interesting for many a listen.Similar in ethos to Mr. Scruff (though more adventurous), Deadly Avenger (though more jazzy) and DJ Shadow (though more upbeat), this album perhaps stands out best from its peers for its wide-ranging use of mostly live (rather than sampled) instruments, expertly arranged to produce a richly layered, organic-sounding, and highly original take on breakbeat electronica.Highlights for me are the upbeat title-track and the downbeat closing couplet, 'Time Is The Enemy' / 'In The Key of Blue'. However, whilst the songwriting (arguably the best of any Quantic album) and production are consistently good throughout, the odd vocalist and some slightly stronger melodies could have lifted this from great background music to classic album status.Sadly, Quantic's sound was to become increasingly mainstream on subsequent albums, although 'Trouble From The River' (2002) and the title-track of 'Mishaps Happening' (2004) are two stunning exceptions that keep the 5th Exotic spirit alive.

A brilliant album. I came across Quantic after liking his remix of the Bonobo song "The Plug". Turns out that Quantic and Bonobo are on the same label, and they both produce music in a similar vein. The 5th exotic is a very catchy record, but still has depth on repeated listenings. The songs don't get repetitive at all, and they don't tire with repeated listenings. I think this album is superior to Quantic's followup, Apricot Morning, because i think this one was produced before Quantic made it big, so less flash and bad vocalists, and more laid-back beats and chilled instrumentals. My favourites are "Life in the rain" and "Snakes in the Grass"