by David JeffriesMore chaotic and scot free of the meek moments that kept his Different Day release from catching fire, For the Love of the Beat is solid. Icey benefits from his new combination of uninhibited and inspired, picking a loud and slick set of tunes and mashing some together (which he joyfully talks about in the liner notes). Dance purists might scoff at the fact that Icey is just now digging the Two Lone Swordsmen (he speaks of hearing them on the Internet and buying from a big retailer -- very un-hardcore), but his new passion for music without the smooth sheen of his past favorites deserves attention. He's right at the heart of funky nu breaks for most of the set, complementing it with more pop moments that won't alienate your friends. Most of the tracks have either a big-name electronica artist as the performer or the remixer, and the ones that don't are undiscovered gems. "At Night" is the best, a smack in the face at first that turns into a buzzing bug in your ear. Pulling that track out alone shows that Icey has come far enough in his love of the underground to teach even the nu breaks faithful something new. For the Love of the Beat's winning trifecta (excellent tracks, exciting mix, clever nod to Herb Alpert on the cover) adds up to an album that Icey's detractors will have trouble burying. Sorry, but you can't use that "too slick" argument on this one.