Since signing with Invisible Records in 2000, this electronic trio of Chicago natives has managed to keep a pace of an album a year. Shake Hands with Danger, the group’s first release on File 13 Records, is being released this September and features thirteen tracks for nearly an hour of sound collages that combine both the analog and the digital.

The trio, known for performances in which they manage to reconstruct their songs live with Kent Rayhill and Deb Schimmel controlling an assortment of equipment including keyboards and samplers while drummer Jay Rajeck keeps the tempo, manages to top previous releases with the collection of breakbeats, samples, and downtempo elements found on Shake Hands with Danger.

With a strong foundation built of strong beats, TRS-80 creates a futuristic sound that is somehow disconnected from time. The group’s sparing use of vocal samples prevents it from becoming a gimmick and gives tracks such as "Cliff Evans" and "I am Energy" a greater impact; even "To Explain Grades of Beef," which is simply a woman explaining grades of beef takes on more of the surreal and less of the silly.

The greatest accomplishment of the album, however, is the guitar-riff based "Motoki." Even with the "Crazy Train"-esque chord progression acting as the center of the song, TRS-80 manage to establish the same musical atmosphere present on the rest of the album. It is this ability to combine a wide variety of element into a cohesive unit that makes the album a success.