Though there’s something undeniably British and retro-futuristic about Broadcast’s hazy sci-fi psychedelia, husband-and-wife duo Trish Keenan and James Cargill still seem to transmit from an as-yet-uncharted place and time. Described as “hauntological” by critic and author Simon Reynolds in reference to philosopher Jacques Derrida’s “paradoxical state of the spectre, which is neither being nor non-being," the band’s latest two releases are perhaps its most otherworldly yet, like falling asleep while watching the original Dr. Who with half-remembered scenes melting into dreams.

Far removed from the straightforward tunes of 2005’s Tender Buttons, Broadcast’s collaboration with The Focus Group weaves ghostly melodies between samples of flutes, birdcalls and other, more extraterrestrial sounds. It’s easy to get lost in these 23 short passages, but close listening reveals jazzy drumming and backwards looping instrumentals (“Drug Party,” “Ritual/Looking In”), hushed Vashti Bunyan-style rambles (“A Seancing Song”) and even bona-fide pop (“The Be Colony” and its reprise “The Be Colony/Dashing Home/What On Earth Took You?”).

Anyone lucky enough to catch one of Broadcast’s shows with Atlas Sound (or savvy/ unscrupulous enough to download it) can also snag the tour-only EP Mother is The Milky Way, and may find it somewhat simpler to dig into. Sure, there are still samples of everything from pitch-shifted laughter to Dadaist sound artist Kurt Schwitters, but it also offers wonderfully sparse moments sometimes even verging on songs.