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Audiofile Submarine SkinDiving Kinetic/Reprise Records This soulful, trance-pop trio from South London has crafted a smart, sultry debut full of liquidy synthesized sonics, hypnotic pulsating rhythms and cosmic effects. Adaesi Ukairo's luxurious voice flows from as sweet and lilting as a mythical siren's to as abrasive as sister U.K. exports Shirley Manson (Garbage) and Cerys Matthews (Catatonia). Submarine invigorates its fresh blend by mingling elements of jazz, disco and more severe industrial rock with more trendy dance-club electronica. The music is energetic, the lyrics are sharp and the album is packed with potential hits. (Sarah Quelland) Los Amigos Invisibles Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey Into Space Luaka Bop On my favorite show of the '90s, the late, lamented Homicide: Life on the Street, laid-back detective Meldrick Lewis once said he drank iced tea all the time because "it keeps me in a summertime frame of mind." The funked-out Esquivel-meets-The Brand New Heavies sound of the Venezuelan sextet Los Amigos Invisibles does the same for me, which is why the arrival of their second American release is perfectly timed as the weather starts to cool down, and sadly, the nubile women the Amigos sing about stop wearing less. The Amigos skillfully combine funk, acid-jazz, techno and the high-concept satire of a Prince Paul-produced rap record. They mock their earnest, befuddled homeland and celebrate player-ology while poking fun at it at the same time. The best track has to be the infectious "Masturbation Session," which has the tawdry feel of an Ohio Players jam. If you're curious about the album's title, it refers to the Amigos' vision of a Venezuelan spaceship: a flying arepa, or corn bagel. Now that puts the "odd" in "space odyssey." (Jim Aquino) [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]