The fourth album from this experimental New York project takes them into some new and surprising directions that have been summed up in a sentence: Gang Gang Dance have gone pop. Although not entirely wrong, this perspective only tells half of the story. For me, the best description would actually be that they have opened up their unique approach in writing songs and incorporated as many external elements as never before, some of which, yes, taken from more mainstream styles. But what's so invigorating in here is the way everything is fused together to create alienating digressions that still sound very unique, no matter if we're listenning to industrial loops, new-wave guitars, hip-hop beats, abstract electronica, african tribal drums, post-punk experimentalism or even disco pop. I don't know if this is the sound of the future as some have mentioned, for me it seems more like a soundtrack to a parallel universe. But either way, with so much happening in each song, this is always a challenge that strongly pays off. (7,5/10)
Just in case you haven't noticed: hey everyone, it's Christmas time! So what better way to celebrate the spirit of the occasion than with a mixtape that absorbs a multitude of regional cultures and creates a kaleidoscopic new global order, free of hierarchies, where one can actually believe in the utopy that we are all the same? Check it out: a collaboration between European production team Radioclit and Malawian-born, London-based singer Esau Mwamwaya, that includes inter-continental sounds from Africa, France, England, the United States, Australia or Sweden, and takes pieces of music from the likes of Vampire Weekend, M.I.A., The Ruby Suns, Santogold, Architecture in Helsinki, the Beatles, Hans Zimmer, or even a nineties ballad from Michael Jackson, amongst many others, all put together with african voices, choirs, melodies and hallucinating rhythms. And to top it all: you can legally download it for free at this project's MySpace page. Great Christmas present! (8/10)
Ricardo Villalobos, once minimal techno's beloved guru, has long transcended the frontiers of this genre, building a space of his own where he's been happily making small revolutions in electronic music. Following the hallucinating aural poem that was last year's Fabric 36, 2008 sees him release an EP that actually has the length of a proper album, with 70 minutes divided by just 4 tracks. Once again a mechanical and repetitive beat is just the beginning, the end being the subliminal layers of innumerous sounds and samples that he creates around and even inside those same beats, always with a broad sense of inspiration that abolishes any musical classifications. In the end, here's a lesson on how to play with the notion of space and time at your own terms and where the definition of "transparent sounds" suddenly starts making sense, in one of the most fluid and hypnotical records of the year. (8/10)
Whatever way you'd look at 808s & Heartbreak, this was an album that was destined to divide opinions and create as much backlash as enthusiastic reactions. Until now, Yeezy was everyone's favourite hip-hop artist, with his uplift songs and an amazing ear to find the most surprising samples that would turn almost every single one of his musical creations into larger than life anthems. But then, in the past few months, a lot has happened. The sudden death of his mother and the break-up with his long-term fiancée had an effect in Yeezy that is felt everywhere in his new album and mostly goes like this: he stopped caring about what you, me or anyone else thinks. Add to this his late obsession with the Auto-Tune technology and there you have it, the ingredients for one of the most talked-about and controversial records of recent times. And if that wasn't enough, this is not even hip-hop anymore, but just pop music in all its glory, causing immediate shouts of "sell out" towards him. Sell-out? I don't think so. In fact, I hardly believe he could go into a more difficult way than this. Using Auto-Tune in a disarming way to sing touching melodies and creating the most amazing sounds with not much more than a TR-808 drum machine, it's almost umbelievable the amount of diverse sensations suggested by this music, what with such a stripped-down approach. Almost vanished are the celebratory moods of his old time songs, now say hello to melancholic and intelligent digital pop songs about the pain, anger and loneliness that can come at the top. Recorded in just 3 weeks and with a sense of urgency that seems almost therapeutic, 808s & Heartbreak is no less than a groundbreaking pop album as rarely heard, pushing so many boundaries alone. The fact that it does this while, at the same time, being extremely compelling in the way it exposes the very inner side of one of the most creative artists around, is just beyond any reasonable explanation. (9,5/10)
The last year and a half have seen a lot happening around Britney Spears and not all related to her work. With an emotional breakdown taking place in front of the paparazzi lenses, somewhat an excellent album got a bit ignored on the way, in the middle of all the chaos that her life was supposed to be during that period. Quite unfairly, I may add, as Blackout was a postmodernist wet-dream, or the sound of someone falling apart, gloriously captured by a bunch of the best producers in town, to make a true 21st century dirty digital fest with some awesome results. One year later and her life is supposed to be back on track and apparently the world is also ready for her "real" comeback, forgiving the supposed behavior mistakes of the past. But what's actually interesting in all this is that the object of that same comeback, Circus, is another triumphant pop moment, even if not so radical as Blackout was. A very cohesive album, this time the aim is to make a complete work with a more pop-oriented approach, but still with those groundbreaking beats and digital sounds created by an amazing team of producers. Touching a lot of different things in the same package, we have synthesised Britney, actual Britney vocals, Britney's trademark giggles, power-ballad Britney ("Out From Under", surprisingly good) or hilarious Britney ("If U Seek Amy", and try saying this fast), all complete with some great punchlines that draw close parallels to her own life ("all eyes on me, I’m in the center of the ring, just like a circus", "Mr. Photographer, I think I’m ready for my close-up...Is that money in your pocket or you happy to see me?"). In the end, with so many great songs that are amongst the best in her career, like "Circus", "Kill The Lights", "Unusual You", "Mannequim" or the aforementioned "If U Seek Amy", the best to do is to finally let go all pre-conceived ideas you still might have and just enjoy this amazing attack on all senses. (8/10)
I have to confess: I still can't get enough of "Yearbook 1", the first album from this Swedish project, with its groovy digressions, New-Wave anthemic melodies, arpeggio guitars and an overall Balearic feeling. "Yearbook 2", a collection of remixes this duo has made for the likes of Shout Out Louds, A Mountain Of One or (no less) Kylie Minougue, almost feels like a very good follow-up, even if it doesn't include any original material. Beyond other reasons, this happens mostly because of how strong Studio's identity is, devouring these songs from its original context and giving them new lights, with kaleidoscopic motifs that interlace and succeed one after another in cascades. And here's the secret: these are motifs that take no time to expand themselves in mental layers, with dubby echoes, glistening synthesizers and mysterious dark disco grooves that are topped by appointments of the duo's trademark guitar webs. Or, in a more poetic fashion: making music as if looking beyond the horizon while creating waves of sounds in endless languid vagues. Nevermind the concept of remixes and forget if you like the originals or not: "Yearbook 2" makes a very good point in showing how unique Studio are. (8/10)
As awesome as it was, 2006's "It's a Feedelity Affair" was actually a collection of previously released maxi-singles, so here it is, finally, what can be considered Lindstrøm's first proper album. And not shy to do things the difficult way, this Norwegian producer has released an ambitious work comprised of only three songs, one of which with the impressive length of no less than 28 minutes. Logistic facts aside, "Where You Go I Go Too" marks a small departure from what his territory was before, although the end sounds a bit in a limbo, making it somewhat hard to say where he really wants to go. And in fact, travelling is the first concept in here, as shown by its title and contents, no matter what the final destiny will be. So, coming from the previous first ambassador of epic-disco revivalism, we now have less disco rhythms and more cosmic journeys and New-Age grandiose atmospheres, with epic synths that, to my ears, take more than a few nods to, hum, Jean-Michel Jarre. But fear not, even if nothing in here reaches the best individual moments of "It's A Feedelity Affair", the whole thing, when heard from start to end, makes for a very compelling listen (and a few good mental trips, as well). (7,5/10)
Inspired by the written stories of Paul Auster, The Week That Was is an ambitious conceptual album with a plot that goes around a crime thriller (or, to be more precise, a kidnap) while, at the same time, commenting about the power that the media has in our lives today. A side-project of Field Music's Peter Brewis, here's a pop record that is, at the same time, compelling, intelligent and hugely entertaining. And if lyric-wise there's a lot to pay attention to, musically it's no different: this record touches so many things that each song seems like a new twist that takes the whole project into a different direction, be it prog-pop, post-punk or glam rock, always with a very contemporary attitude. The result is not short of great details, one of the best being the powerful tension constantly felt between the abrasive urgency of its drums and the intricate melodies of its clever song-writing. (7,5/10)
I know that I'm a bit late on this one but the fact is that, 6 months after its release, it does sound better than ever. Authors of a sound that gives new meanings to the word "electro", Crystal Castles are Ethan Kath and Alice Glass, and their approach is somewhere between over the top energy and minimal raw-dirty atmospheres, filling their dry mechanical beats with anthemic hooks and infectious samples, while adding looped distorted female vocals on top and an extra dose of claustrophobia and paranoia. Truth to be told, the reputation of this Toronto duo has preceded them long before their debut album release, with shit-hot remixes for the likes of Liars, Bloc Party, The Whip or Klaxons (their take on "Atlantis To Interzone" has pretty much defined the nu-rave generation) or inclusions in hip and trendy compilations like the Kitsuné Maison series. But with all the hype around them, it's still not easy to exactly describe what they do. Reviewing their appearance at the Underage Festival in England, DIS used these words, which I think go pretty close to accurately describing the whole thing: "ferocious, asphyxiating sheets of warped two-dimensional Gameboy glitches and bruising drum bombast pierce [the] skull with sheer shrill force, burrowing deep into the brain like a fever". So, now you see why their live shows have earned the reputation of apocalyptic celebrations. One last thought: any band that has the balls to use a graphic image of a black-eyed Madonna on their merchandise (later removed due to copyright disputes) has to have my thumbs up. (9/10)
The news that Los Campesinos! would have another new record still this year took everyone by surprise, insuflating expectations everywhere. After all, a mere 8 months have passed since the suberb "Hold On Now, Youngster" was out, and that album was loaded with an impossible dose of contagious and irreverent energy that seems to happen only once in a band's lifetime. So how to follow it up? Detractors and fans agree in one thing: this Cardiff collective seems to have swallowed a complete catalogue of the last 15 years of indie music, regurgitating them into their own sound, and that is once again evident in "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed". So this means a new collection of beautiful chaos, complete with twee-pop references, witty lyrics, cathartic explosions, handclaps, cute harmonies, boy-girl verses and absurd amounts of catchiness everywhere. But there was also space for growth in the last months, as demonstrated by details such as new twisted song structures or the use of dissonance to broaden up some of the songs atmospheres, while renewing a feeling of urgency to create genius anthemic songs. In the end, where does this leave us? Are we having more of the same? Maybe so. But bolder, sharper, catchier and even more excessive than ever. As they say: "Shout at the world because the world doesn't love you / Lower yourself because you know that you'll have to". (9/10)
Should have posted about this one last Friday, as it would have suited the Halloween spirit very well - hell, they even have an old song called "Trick or Treatz"! After their debut "Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe)" from 2006 and a shit-hot load of remixes for the likes of Klaxons, Ladytron, Franz Ferdinand, Gorillaz, Late of the Pier or Lykke Li, "Nights Out", the second album from this British project, is here to provide a large dose of dancefloor fillers. There's a more pop-oriented take into their trademark sound, mainly because it includes much more voices, but all the rest that puts them on a place of their own is intact: a vintage approach to electro (hello 1980's), with a DIY/lo-fi attitude, some creepy gothic influences (hence the Halloween reference), clipped guitars, radiant synths and a lot of infectious hooks that seem both obscure and jubilant at the same time, a new one coming out of nowhere every 10 seconds or so. All in all, another mind-blowing record that should appeal to both indie and dance masses with any sense of good taste. (8,5/10)
Formed in 2001, Department of Eagles are Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear) and Fred Nicolaus, former roommates at the New York University and authors of a very intimate ache-exorcism sound that combines elements of folk, pop and a very small dose of electronica. Their second album, "In Ear Park", is out now and is one of those good examples where you need a few listens until getting completely captivated by its many hidden charms. With a collection of songs that are amazingly written and always seem on the verge of falling into pieces, there are always a few quiet details around the corner to keep us motivated, while a hidden atmosphere that subtly embraces the absurd and the satirical can be felt in the back. It's actually this same atmosphere that takes "In Ear Park" to a theatrical place that suits it so well, featuring complex structures, instrumentations and elements that never seize to expand in our mind. And then, in the middle of all this controlled chaos, there's an amazing song called "No One Does It Like You"... (7/10)
Department Of Eagles - No One Does It Like You (DUMBO session acoustic version)
Yes, finally! After 20 long years, here it is, the new record by Grace Jones. And it's so good! Not surprising as this project involves such names as Tricky, Brian Eno and Sly & Robbie. Some songs take her into an entirely new direction (Corporate Cannibal, Hurricane, Devil In My Life) and I can totally see her in the future doing a record with Nick Cave (who she praised on a recent interview). On some other tracks it's simply Grace back at her Compass Point days, with that great exotic sophisticated vibe and her menacing spoken vocals. The lyrics are, as usual, brilliant (she's not only a great vocalist but a great writer), personal and entertaining. The album is filled with lush orchestrations, wicked percussion, ambient sounds flavoured with electronica and, on top of it all, her unique voice.This puts recent records I've heard to shame, few other singers have half of the audacity she is showing here, taking risks with her music without compromising her artistic integrity while, at the same time, maintaining her sense of fun. Probably one of the best albums of 2008. Welcome back Grace!
Tracks you must download: Corporate Cannibal, William's Blood, Hurricane, Devil in My Life.
From time to time, just when you're starting to think you've heard it all, there comes a new project to question and broaden our perception of what is music, creating something completely unique and also out of touch with anything else. Paavoharju are a collective that is part of a mysterious Finnish commune of devout Christians (!) and this, their second album, is one of those rare cases. A strange and fascinating collection of delicate pieces, there are remains of psych folk in here, along with musique concrete, classical orchestrations, impressionist pop, pastel electronics, abstract drones, experimental disco and torch songs but, even so, this is something else. With a sense of constant search for something greater (a consequence of their religious beliefs?), a hugely evocative atmosphere and even innumerous mind-blowing details that feel so strange but never out of place, the music heard in "Laulu Laakson Kukista" still feels much simpler than what you'd expect from the sum of its parts. Like some old and distant AM radio transmission, these are ethereal warm sounds to digest slowly while conforting your soul. (8/10)
Brooklyn has been the center of attention in music for the last few months, with the likes of MGMT, Vampire Weekend or High Places now appearing everywhere, but let's not forget that some other local heroes have been around for longer and didn't benefit from being part of any hype scene, basing their rise to stardom and critical-acclaim purely on their own brilliance. TV On The Radio are one of those cases, already with 3 albums in their catalogue. From 2004, "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes" was an avant-garde and very personal take into the post-punk revival happening during that time, but it was with the post-apocalyptic masterpiece "Return to Cookie Mountain", from 2006, that things really exploded, that record still being considered one of the best rock albums of the decade. And now, with so many people currently looking at their home town Brooklyn to find the latest trends of the moment in music, what next for TVOTR? "Dear Science", their third album, starts in familiar territory, with a powerful epic evoking a post-apocalypse world that couldn't have a more-appropriate title ("Halfway Home"). But two songs in, and things couldn't get more different, and this sentiment actually prevails until the very end. No, they are not returning home, they are instead eager to explore brand-new territories, keeping their curiosity and sense of adventure intact. So this time we're not talking about the end of the world, at least not explicitly. Instead, things are much more slowed-down, the sound is less heavier, as if they had let some bright lights in, influences have broaden (Prince and Fela Kuti now seem to be around some corners) and, most important of all, the atmosphere is generally much more pop-oriented, while multiple layers reveal new details in each track and with each new listen. An example of this new lighter approach comes with "Family Tree", a beautiful piece built around just a voice, keyboards and strings for the most part of it, until the rhythmic section finally erupts, sending goosebumps on its way. And like this, there are much more examples showing how unique everything is in terms of writing, performance, arrangements and production (David Sitek doing miracles in here once again). In the meantime, while each song explores a different and individual universe, everything still sounds very much like TVOTR, proving that their identity is strong enough to use unrelated elements and aggregate them into a cohesive whole, and showing that they're really playing a game of their own. Ultimately, their output has been a constant work-in-progress to find new meanings for the unknown, and "Dear Science" comes as just the latest opus in this brilliant path. (8,5/10).
Proving that the Brits are currently on top of their game in music right now, here's another excellent debut from a young and upcoming new band in the UK, to add to the likes of Mystery Jets, Late Of The Pier, Los Campesinos or These New Puritans, just to mention a few of the most recent projects appearing lately. This time, think DFA fronted by a close relative to Justin Timberlake singing perfect indie-pop anthems in an all-night-long party and you'll get a close idea. Loaded with addictive hooks, incessant rhythms, angular synths, blissful shoegaze moments, and insanely catchy melodies, this is music that doubles as a dancefloor filler and a daytime-favourite, each track standing on its own and feeling like a future hit-in-the-make. Not to mention the fact that the whole album was self-produced, with the only exception being "Jump In The Pool" (recorded with Paul Epworth of Bloc Party fame), which is also another good point to show how these guys really have it all to become the next big thing. While that doesn't happen, stay tuned, as there's already more than enough glistening and fresh goods to enjoy. (8/10)
I have to confess that I was really curious about this second full-length album from Deerhunter, as no one could know what to expect. Their first record "Cryptograms" was a visceral reverb-loaded cathartic experience full of angst and despair, but then they followed it up with an EP ("Fluorescent Grey") that took a more pop-oriented lighter approach and to top it all, an year later, vocalist Bradford Cox put out a record that was a completely different experience. In "Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel", from Bradford's side project Atlas Sound, it seemed as if he had come to terms with his own demons and the result was a collection of beautiful home-made abstract drone sketches. So what next? A return to the loud sonic assaults of their debut? Or keeping up with the recent evolution and exploring a bit more the inner-joys of the Atlas Sound project? The answer comes in the form of "Microcastle" and follows a surprising direction: it takes a bit of everything that was behind and adds up some 1960's influences seen through a schizophrenic lens. So we end up with a very diverse but also strongly-cohesive collection that if, at first hand, seems a bit understated, that's just because we now can actually see the amazingly-written songs in all their glory, something that in the past was hidden underneath all the hypnotic fucked-up noise. And fucking great songs these are, with their delicate mixture of psychedelic leanings, pedal-guitar algoritms, compelling melodies, dynamic flourishes, glorious refrains and bedroom experimentation. All put together to form a confident exorcism made of indie gems that is destined to become one of the best records of the year. (9/10)
It would be easy to label "London Zoo" as just the next step in dubstep evolution, with this genre blending itself with many external influences like dancehall or ragga, to create new exciting universes. But let's not forget that Kevin Martin, the man behind this project, has been around for more than a decade, while this itself is already his third album as The Bug. With that in mind, it's still clear that "London Zoo" is the synthesis of many things that have been happening in London's nightscape for the last few years. And like M.I.A., Spank Rock or Diplo, The Bug's strongest asset is to absorb the atmosphere of our times and create something that abolishes all frontiers, while still having a strong individual identity that guides the listener around and adds a special unique touch. And "London Zoo" is no easy-listening indeed: soundtracking fear and oppression in an almost aggressive way, this music is so claustrophobic, frantic and dense, that you shouldn't be surprised to reach the end gasping for air. Not for the faint-hearted. (9/10)
The Bug - Skeng (feat. Killa P and Flowdan) (video)
Ah, those Swedes making pop music, they can never go wrong, right? Almost two years after first hitting an absurd amount of pleasure centers with a devastating song featuring Robyn on vocals ("With Every Heartbeat", and let's not be shy in here, that is arguably one of the best songs of the past few years...), Kleerup proves there was much more up his sleeve. This debut solo album is nothing less than a stunning collection of blinding pop moments with hints of electro and house...but what exactly takes it apart, you may ask? Maybe the healthy dose of warm and involving nostalgia that is featured? Or maybe the delicate construction applied to each of these 12 songs? Perhaps the sum of its parts, the spacious keyboards, the emotional melodies, the volatile synths, the vintage sounds or the other delightful old-fashioned elements? Either way, the final result is nothing else than a bright pop monument and that is it. Bonus tip: best savoured during those special quiet moments... (8/10)
Kleerup (feat. Robyn) - With Every Heartbeat (video)
Music has never been so accessible as nowadays and one of the most direct consequences of this democratization is the gradual deletion of its categories and frontiers, be it in genres, geography, target groups or even when you think about past / present / future. Girl Talk, alter-ego for Gregg Gillis, is another synthesis product of this fact. Incorporating only sounds from pre-existing and well known songs, all the music heard in "Feed The Animals" (his fourth album) is sampled from an infinite quantity of different sources that, pretty much, cover the entire pop music history. Really, think about a specific favourite song of yours from the last 40 years and there's a good chance that it will be included somewhere in these 53 unstoppable minutes, even if just for a few seconds, only a small part of it (be it a bass-line, a beat, a voice, a guitar riff, etc.) and mashed-up with a few other elements from completely different songs. Putting everything together must have been a hell of a work that needed to use a very detailed, scientific and encyclopedic approach, but the best of it, besides the good taste in choosing the different materials sampled, is that everything flows so naturally and, most of all, sounds so spontaneously fun. (7/10)
