A chronic bout of myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome, was the catalyst for Dan Berridge's Broadway Project. An illness without cure that strikes sufferers down with a combination of fatigue and poor concentration often resulting in a subsequent depression, Berridge left his home in London for his parent's house in Sussex to recuperate. With many sufferers advised to take on something creative, Berridge bought a sampler and, drawing on influences ranging from Tom Waits and Miles Davis through to 1970s jazz-funk, was quick to find his own take on melancholic, instrumental hip-hop for the Memphis Industries label. His combination of DJ Shadow's cut and paste approach with the '60s film aesthetic of Portishead and the optimism of Saint Etienne saw Berridge conjuring beauty from his overworked Akai sampler, whose bank of stolen sounds blended modern classical, rock solos, and obtuse vocals into a wide-eyed future sound reminiscent of Aphex Twin or Future Sound of London. A handful of hard to find extended players laid out his musical agenda before the Compassion album filled in the full cinematic majesty of the project. ~ Kingsley Marshall