Throughout his solo career,
Robbie Robertson has been as fascinated with sonics as he was with songwriting, so perhaps it wasn't entirely surprising that he collaborated with techno DJ/producer
Howie B and remixer Marius de Vries on his fourth album,
Contact From the Underworld of Redboy. Anyone familiar with his moody, atmospheric solo efforts will realize that there's a bigger jump between
Music From Big Pink and
Robbie Robertson than there is between the
Daniel Lanois-produced
Robbie Robertson and the ambient-flavored
Contact, but the electronic textures and dance beats still may come as a shock to some. The electronics are interwoven with blues, folk, country, and rock, as well as American Indian music. And, as on
Music for the Native Americans,
Robertson is primarily concerned with American Indians throughout
Contact, whether it's through the chants of "Peyote Healing" or the protest of "Sacrifice," which features
Leonard Peltier -- a Native American who has been imprisoned since 1976 on charges of murder many believe are fabricated -- on a telephone call. Both his lyrical and musical concerns can get bogged down in their own pretensions, but often, the results are provocative and unique. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide