You could say that things have changed slightly for Hot Chip between Made In The Dark and their breakthrough 2nd album The Warning. The London-based electro-masters of contagious D.I.Y homemade lo-fi disco-funk, hit the jackpot with 2006 single-of-the-year ‘Over & Over’, became Ivor Novello and Mercury Music Prize nominated, and played countless memorable festival appearances including Barcelona Primavera Sound, Isle Of Wight and Glastonbury. Safe to say then that there's plenty of anticipation this time around. What you realize from the off is that this record is taking no prisoners. The opening stop-start flurry of bombastic beats, tribal screaming and mantra repetitions of 'One at the Pictures' sets the tone for the mix-bag of ideas which follows.What’s clear from the start is that this record, and band as a whole, have become a more tight and cohesive unit. Now I appreciated the songs and musicianship on previous records but they failed to recapture that euphoria of experiencing them live. Made in the Dark though was recorded largely at home and produced entirely by the band (okay, maybe with a little help from live sound engineer Jonathan Digby) and tracks such as 'Out at the Pictures' and the vibrant and vivacious ‘Hold On’ were recorded fully live as a band and, remarkably, in one take.This record is just brutal and down-right filthy in parts. The brash ‘Shake A Fist’ builds to an attack of B-movie sci-fi laser beams and a vicious synthesiser-smeared electro release. There's the M83-esque layered carousal of 'Touch Too Much’ which feels both tender and harsh. ‘Don’t Dance’ contains possibly the most unexpected and irresistible shuffling keyboard-hopping breakdown I’ve heard since Plaid’s ‘Dang Spots’. ‘One Pure Thought’ presents an off-beat 2-step over a raw jagged guitar riff. It sounds messy and chaotic at first but slowly winds into a rhythmical Ulrich Schnuass type of euphoric trance. It’s a real head rush and you feel you could almost get a nosebleed, soaring as it does to such a high altitude as they pontificate the ills of a bad trip.It might be too early to claim ‘Ready for the Floor’ as a single-of-the-year, but it sounds so totally fresh and exquisite, with it’s techno trance/80’s game console crossover, that it's going to be there or thereabouts. Of course you’ve probably heard the rumours that it was the track that was written specifically for Kylie Minogue. Whatever the case, it's a song of pure unadulterated bliss and chiming joy. And if true, her loss.It’s not all one-way high-speed traffic though. There’s variety with some slower-paced numbers which never sound out of place. One thing that strikes you is just how considered the lyrics are and how heart-felt Alexis Taylor’s vocals are. The title track is a prime example, where his affectionate, gentle and warm delivery tugs the heartstrings. He lays his emotions bare. Sounding just as deep, soulful and introspective as Prince, Jason Molina, Will Oldham and hell, even Willy Nelson. The melodies are instantaneous and interweave perfectly with Jo Goddard’s deeper hum.There are a couple of tracks which I can’t, as much as I try, get into, namely ‘Bendable Poseable’ (growing though)”¦ and ‘Wrestlers’ (an ostensibly sweet excuse to reveal their extensive knowledge of notorious grapple moves and holds), but Made in the Dark shows a real progression. It still consists of their trademark guitars and immediately recognizable keyboard riffs. They've developed the knack for creating a twirling cacophony of synthetic noise whilst at the same time sounding entirely warm and organic. People, I think we have our soundtrack for the summer already. If you can, blast it from the rooftops, ok? Just make sure it's LOUD. 82%mp3:> Hot Chip: 'Made in the Dark'Links Hot Chip [official site] [myspace] [buy it]