SLAM is Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle. Best known as established DJ's in the rise of Glasgow's underground club scene, they also have their sound-searching record label Soma.
The duo are hitting the ground running with their third outing, "Ground Zero": a much more direct album than previous outings, with collabutions from the likes of Dot Allison, Tyrone Palmer, Elbee Bad, Envoy and Ann Saunderson.
"Ground Zero" is a starting point for a far more demanding direction, with the album far less club influenced than previously. Slam are moving on, it seems.
It's self-confessed new territory for the boys, as Orde admits: "We always used to work on our own, but throw somone else into the melting pot and you're never sure how it's going to turn out".
Sometimes it turns out really well, actually. Tyrone Palmer's soulful voice on "This World" challenges social perspectives and asks the important question: "will you take the hand of your fellow man in this world?" with post- 9/11 question marks never really far away.
Dot Allison stars on the ghostly floating electricity of "Kill The Pain": a song themed around dependency. Other highlights include ex-Electribe 101 vocalist Billy Ray Martin's soulful and understatedly joyful "Bright Lights Fading" which almost breaks free from dance convention altogether.
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Elswehere, old skool rap from Elbee Bad on "Metropolitan Cosmopolitan" flies over FX breaks, loses the appeal and doesn't work, frankly. Downtempo's electro computer meltdown of "Blow Your Mind", meanwhile is hazy and less decisive. Slam's own influences are cystal clear, however, with the likes of Prince, Tom Tom Club and Mantronix making their presence felt.
"Lie To Me" is the first single to be released by the band and is a brillant club classic in waiting. "It was a lot easier to lie to me, rather than to telling you the truth, can't you see,"coos Ann Saunderson, while the track itself is twisted perfection, rife for mopping your brow and returning to the house-stomping, dirty sweaty dancefloor in the early hours.
"Ghost Electric" has a winning formula, sleepy smooth synth ambience swooning away, while the album's not without other rewards, as older fans will love the good-time classic club electric computer beats of "Human" and "Fast Lane".
Not quite Slam dunking, then, but a shot of pure electro dance excellence nonetheless.
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