He's remixed U2 and Massive Attack, designed sleeves for Eric B & Rakim and the Jungle Brothers, runs his own record imprint Output and now, under his nom de plume Playgroup, Trevor Jackson has made a classic record that pulls the disco rug from under Daft Punk's feet, without resorting to robot masks, irony, or really terrible guitar solos. Actually, in truth, Playgroup is a record that makes a spirit of eclecticism its central tenet, mashing funk, punk, hip-hop and new-wave into a funky whole, with guests including everyone from bequiffed Scottish crooner Edwin Collins and Happy Mondays' Rowetta to Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna and Blurt saxophonist Ted Milton. But throughout, the mood is joyfully upbeat and permanently angled towards the dance floor--from the characteristically Princely sleaze-funk of "Number One", sung by Leila cohort Luca, to the odd wildcard, such as the dominatrix disco of "Make It Happen" or the deep boombox-dub rumble of "Surface to Air", peppered cheekily with mobile phone interference. Jackson can even make Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Love" sound cool, reworking it with juddering dancehall bass, Jamaican toaster Shinehead at the helm. In a scene blighted by irony and cliché, Playgroup is a refreshingly original statement: Trevor Jackson really is doing it for the kids. -- Louis Pattison