Enhanced CD-ROMs have never quite lived up to the hype; Header should change all that.

Header is a London-based design collective producing a series of enhanced CDs showcasing exclusive new work by artists ranging widely across the cutting edge of music.

The failure of previous music CD-ROMs has been down to content rather than music. Many publishers have just ended up putting a band's live footage on the CD - in effect the same as watching the band on video or television.

Header #1 is the first 'enhanced CD' that genuinely manages to synchronise beats and allow multi-track mixing. The stunning enhanced CD format allows audio tracks to be played in a normal CD-player, but when installed in a Mac or PC, also lets you access the interactive media content of the CD. You can play the CD as normal, view and interact with it on PC or Mac. Header is experimental, with a visual flow and abstraction that is inside the music.

Its audio component alone will set Header apart from the current deluge of compilations. Header#1 includes exclusive music from As One, 4 Hero, Carl Craig, UNKLE from Mo Wax, Derrick Carter and some truly seminal 70's drum and bass by King Tubby. The music itself is great, while the visuals and mixing opportunities put the current opposition in the shade.

The mixing on Header shames what currently passes for interactive music. It is multi-tracked, fully synchronised and of CD quality. The interactive portion features spoken contributions from Carl Craig and James Lavelle, and a full exclusive interview from Horace Andy covering his Studio One days to Massive Attack. Intuitive interactive toys include a visual cross-fade that allows you to mix a 70's dub track into the modern cut that sampled it. There are mixing games from each contributor and showcases from the leading independent labels of the moment including Nuphonic, Planet E, Blood & Fire and Reinforced.