Hip-hop has never been more fashionable but it's only in the last few years that musicians on this side of the Atlantic have begun to match their American counterparts. Speeka are the latest pretenders to the throne, a duo from London whose prestigious Scratch club has featured high-profile names such as Macy Gray and the Jungle Brothers. Like their rivals Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers, Speeka rely heavily on guest vocalists: this means that their first album has plenty of variety but not much continuity. The music, however, is often excellent: chilled-out, slowed-down grooves mixed with classical violin and a tinge of eastern psychedelia. A very promising debut.