Well known and loved by the chill-out trip-hop crowd for his sensuous beats and loungy grooves, DJ Krush has dabbled in a wide array of electronica sounds during his career, from technical IDM stuff (intelligent dance music) to more mainstream hip-hop. “The Message at the Depth” plays like a summary of his career, or a well-honed portfolio. It’s an eclectic assortment of laid-back beats, inventive samples, strange IDM, hard-hitting street rap and liquid R&B.

“Message” is not the unified front fans have been waiting for since 1999’s “Kakusei.” The album’s ups and downs mean you can’t just push play and let the same vibe unwind to the end. Non-IDM fans might grow bored with those tracks. But those aside, there’s great stuff lying at the depth of this collection.

— Wayne