Sleeping Madness is Ken Ishii's first album since the 1996 "Jelly Tones". Four years on, Ishii's mix of warm synths, pounding techno beats and funky bass rhythms still sounds fresh. Though Ishii has never been much of a visionary, his particular brand of techno--forged through a love of Krautrock, Japanese electronic music and old school Detroit techno remains refreshingly different from anything being made elsewhere. Like the best machine music from the Motor City, Ishii's tracks have something that much commercial house and techno lack--soul and raw emotion. Sleeping Madness sticks roughly to the same successful formula, mixing in hip-hop beats, jazzy breakbeats and some particularly funky slap bass. There are a number of interesting collaborations here, too, where Ishii broadens his horizons to great effect. Rough breakbeat, dark hip-hop and twinkling ambience all make an appearance, thanks largely to the contributions of Talvin Singh, Co-Fusion and DJ Spooky. With "Sleeping Madness", Ken Ishii has produced his best and most adventurous album to date.