• Extraterrestrial soundscapes a welcome destination.

Somewhere in the mid-1990s, Pram got swept up in all the Stereolab-induced excitement over sonic dreamscapes light enough to balance the darkness and claustrophobia of other electronic bands like Massive Attack. While Stereolab developed in one direction, Pram carried on with a more experimental found-sound vibe that often resulted in a far quirkier, extraterrestrial soundscape. This is emphasized on The Moving Frontier by the fact that over half the songs are instrumentals, such as the two-minute xylophone and wind-chime number, “Metaluna.”

A steady stream of albums and EPs has seen Pram move further afield from contemporaries like Electrolane and Broadcast. With The Moving Frontier, Pram firmly establishes their own patch of sonic territory and proceed to map out its borders. Songs like "Sundew" nestle comfortably next to the recent psychedelic experiments of Portishead, while the jazz-tinged horns of “Salva” explode in a Charles Mingus-style riot on "Blind Tiger." Asian string influences dominate “Mariana Deep,” and Tom Waits clearly drives "The Silk Road." After coming all this way, Pram have finally arrived at a destination that will thoroughly reward their fellow travellers.