hOMe For the Holidays, various artists (Om)

Techno music, or future music, as the record company's website defines it, this 2003 album is a compilation of the label's artists performing holiday tunes in that genre. Dance beats laid over drones, but the individual artists all have their own distinctive approaches, which makes this listenable as well as danceable. Sutro Heights build a whole new song around "Winter Wonderland," Rithma's "Psycho Jingle Funk" deconstructs "Jingle Bells," Kaskade's "Peace on Earth" and "Still Still Still" are interesting originals with a Beth Orton touch, the latter almost having a "Silent Night" feel. Late Night Alumni's "Songs of the Morning" would be a folk song if backed only by guitar, but the heavy beats and orchestral backing take it onto the dancefloor almost against its will. Colossus does "Charlie Brown Cut-Up," a drums-and-bass pastiche cut and pasted over the "Peanuts" gang's version of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." King Koopa lays beats over a jazz piano reading of "O Christmas Tree," Pleasant Grove Minstrels give the treatment to "What Child is This," Members Only's "Christmas Eve" chops up "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies," and Casey Nefey wraps things up with "Psyonics Night." Depending on your affinity for this musical style, you may not make it all the way through this, but you'll certainly find individual cuts you like.