by John Bush Perhaps wisely, for his second volume in the Nighttime World series, Rob Hood moved away from the increasingly popular minimalist sound he'd pioneered. Instead of the skeletal, loop-based Detroit trance of Internal Empire and the first Nighttime World (plus his recent singles-based work), Hood layers multiple synth lines: all with heavily evocative, organic-sounding presets that haven't been heard in this fashion for many years, especially in the future-sensitive Motor City. He also acknowledges the influence of hip-hop; "The Key to Midnight," "Untitled," and "Silent Hill" sound halfway between Wu-Tang Clan and a down-tempo Ken Ishii. These surprisingly slick, hardly danceable originals are so emotive they sound odd when placed in proximity to Hood's usual spare, minimalist productions (a few of these do appear, most notably "Teflon" and "Darkroom"). Even with a few beautiful, spiritual down-tempo tracks like "Peace (Closing Theme)," Nighttime World, Vol. 2 is a very difficult listen, especially for fans of the sound Hood made famous.