It's not before you really turn up the volume that you realize that there's actually ANOTHER layer of sub-bass lurking somewhere in the deep of Andy Stott's monumental techno / dubstep tracks. From his earliest outings into Detroit Techno and Chicago House, Stott has come a long way indeed, bending his padded percussion into more and more complex formations while at the same time peeling his melodic inserts for maximum effect. "Credit" (taken from Stott's "Ceramics" debut ep) is an example of how rich and full his sound been from the outset, but it's only when you compare this to more recent tracks like "Bad Landing" or the simply incredible "Massacre" that you realize what the inclusion of dubstep's sub-low basslines, especially Burial's audio-visual aesthetics, has meant for Stott and minimal, dub-oriented techno in general.

The flickering nervousness of "Hostile" is another standout in Stott's mighty catalogue. It has been claimed that this was the most requested of all his tracks. Why this track of all was released in an edition of 350 is beyond me, but as it is, it's worth the price of admission alone. As with earlier Modern Love releases (think Stott's debut "Merciless", the "Deepchord / Echospace" album or, more recently, Claro Intelecto's "Metanarrative"), it's astonishing how perfectly this club music lends itself to home listening. And - as can be felt in the intriguing bassline of "Long Drive" - this is not only because of the atmospheres, but also due to Stott's hand in tension and narrativity. Even if "Unknown Exception" may not work perfectly as an album, and unlikely as it is to see Andy Stott release on Miasmah in the future, this selection should also appeal to anyone into modern classical composition and cinematic soundscapes. 8/10 -- Jan-Arne Sohns (24 September, 2008)