Category Archives: Reviews

Album Review : Beni – House of Beni

Benjamin Single is an Australian Electronic DJ/Producer who goes under the moniker of Beni and the Aussie had previously been one half of Riot in Belgium with ex-Cut Copy and fellow man from down under Joel Dickson. House of Beni is released through Modular Records and is his debut full-length release. He has also previously made remixes for La Roux, as well as appeared on three Kitsuné Maison Compilation CDs, and describes himself as “a very curious motherfucker.”

Bursting with dance floor vitality, Beni’s 10-track debut is a sparkling collection of disco and electronic pop, showcasing the vocals of an ivy league of guests from across the globe including Sam Sparro, Mattie Safer (ex-The Rapture), Prince Terrance, Nomi Ruiz (Jessica 6 and ex-Hercules & Love Affair) and Via Tania just to name a few.

Highlights include Sway – featuring the lovely Nomi on vocal duties – the unique singer melts perfectly with Beni’s funky-disco production, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Last Night and lead single It’s A Bubble are other highlights, brilliantly showcasing Beni’s production and taste for funky disco beats. O.P.U.L.E.N.C.E and Yeah are the kind of trendy dance tracks that will get any party going, and deserve a big sound system.

The only fault I have with this album is the Sam Sparro collaborations, Your Body and High Off Your Love, which unfortunately do not live up to the standards set by the other songs. They worked well together on his 2009 single Maximus (sadly missing here) but these tracks just don’t do it for me.

Never really pushing the boundaries, it pushes enough buttons to make House of Beni an overall enjoyable listen.

Check out the clips for It’s A Bubble and Maximus below.

 

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Album Review : Sneaky Sound System “From Here To Anywhere”

Dance music has taken a bit of a beating lately. The likes of David Guetta (and, even worse, sub-David Guetta imitators) are unavoidable on commercial radio, recycling cheesy Sash! and 2 Unlimited synth riffs to create dumbed-down, lowest-common-denominator hits about being in the club. So in a climate where morons LMFAO are seen as dance-music spokesmen, thank God for Sydney’s Sneaky Sound System.

The music scene Down Under keeps on pumping out slick club stylings and brilliant indie dance. The Presets, Cut Copy, Ladyhawke, Empire Of The Sun, The Bumblebeez, Muscles, Van She and newcomers Voltaire Twins & Catcall, to name a few, are all at it. Australia knows good music. Add to that Sneaky Sound System.

Named after their ongoing Sneaky Sundays club night in Sydney, the delightfully named Miss Connie and Black Angus have been making good music for a while now. Their acclaimed 2006 self-titled debut and the cruelly under-rated follow-up, 2, were luxurious kitchen-sink pop triumphs, producing hits I Love It, UFO, Pictures, Goodbye, Kansas City, When We Were Young  and It’s Not My Problem and established them as popstars with ears for a good hook.

They’ve kept it simple for their latest effort, From Here To Anywhere. Building on the duo’s first two albums – which attracted some very famous fans (Kanye West among them), this is a shrewd club album and a welcome antidote to everything polluting the airwaves right now. From stripped back French house to pounding electro, sexy disco to tech house, this album is retro electro done with real class.

Highlights include opener Friends, the massive why-wasn’t-it-a-hit We Love and the euphoric I Need You So. The killer combo of Connie’s smoky vocals with pulsing basslines and lean, elegant production, manage the delicate balance of being cool, yet accessible. The only criticism I have is that a lot of the songs sound a little bit the same, but it’s clear that Sneaky Sound System were eager to please and aiming for commercial success – and I’m ok with that. They did a pretty good job and this album deserves repeated listens. Overall this is a great pop collection. Guilty pleasure? No.

Watch the brilliant video for We Love below.

 

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Album Review : New Look

New Look are Canadian husband and wife duo Sarah Ruba and Adam Pavao. Their debut album is something of a marvel. They take the shadowy chill of electro-pop, strip out all of the tiresome bleeps and clangs and offer space, restraint & elegance. With one of the most beguiling female voices of the year, Sarah Ruba‘s vocal is an understated treasure chest of emotion that instantly warms the album’s frosty moods. Listening to it from beginning to end, I can’t believe how natural and effortless it sounds.

Album opener Nap On The Bow is exquisite. That voice, paired with delicate ’80s analogue drum snaps and edgy ’90s synth sounds manages to both sound retro and new. The song sounds so good with headphones on, I kept trying to push my in-ear headphones deeper into my ears so I could appreciate every delicate beat and pulse.

Album highlight for me is The Balad. Taking me completely and unexpectedly by surprise the first time I heard it, it’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in a long time. Paired with its accompanying video, the melodrama, sadness, and raw beauty of the vocal could easily have soundtracked any break-up scene in every John Hughes movie. On the punchy Teen Need – another album highlight, they channel Neneh Cherry sass and En Vogue-like seduction when Sarah sings “this hardcore metaphor/I just can’t wait no more/You better come knock down my door“. At times I cant help but think the album reminds of the cruelly under-appreciated Annie, though you’d find it hard to dance to New Look, you must swoon to it instead.

Lots of other influences weaving its way to the surface – Yazoo & Kraftwerk comes to mind – the track that I think of most when listening to New Look – and the same feelings it evoked in me when I heard it for the first time, is Olive‘s You’re Not Alone. I can remember exactly where I was, what I was doing and how it made me feel. And if you play this album (The Balad in particular) to me in 5 years time, I will remember exactly the same.

New Look is high-end, fashionista minimalism in its highest form, written and recorded with an artful care that will floor you every time you play it. Essential.

Album Review : Justice “Audio Video Disco”

It’s amazing how much criticism they’ve been getting in the blogosphere after Audio Video Disco leaked a few days ago. Some people are loving it, but quite a lot of people really hate it. I’m not quite sure why. Justice‘s second album was always going to create a bit of a stir, and maybe a lot of people were hoping to get something a little similar to their messy and noisy 2007 debut, † ? But seriously, did anyone think that was going to happen? Instead, what we have here is the soundtrack to a rebellious 80′s Hollywood action movie. The first two singles to be released from the album, Civilization and the title track, mostly tread the same ground as the first album, not offering anything new. Far from bad, that’s where the similarities end.

They start things off with opener Horsepower. A brutal piece of disco, which sets the tone for the rest of the album – all 70s rock riffs blasting to that compressed Justice-style beat we all know. Civilization features the brilliant Ali Love on vocal duties. I love this track and Ali’s Prince-like voice suits it well. Still being in the world of the first album, these two tracks are the transmission belts between the two albums. From track 3 onwards it enters different territory: the world of 70′s progressive rock-stadium disco – big on grandeur, emotion and guitar riffs. Ohio features Vincent Vendetta from Midnight Juggernauts on vocal duties. Apparently a tribute to Crosby, Stills & Nash, this is a strange one. Halfway through the song a brilliant synth riff appears out of nowhere. You know, just to switch things up a bit.

I tried really hard to not have to mention Daft Punk in this review, but next track Canon has Human After All-era Daft Punk all over it. These guys will never be able to escape the Daft Punk comparisons, and something tells me they don’t care. It doesn’t help that this track is a little repetitive like some of the tracks off that album. On’n'on features Morgan Fallon from Diamond Knight on vocals. I really like this track. Brianvision is a bit repetitive and doesn’t really go anywhere. Clearly a tribute to Brian May, this is where the album goes Queen. Parade has a bit of a 70′s glam stomp to it and reminds me of We Will Rock You. You kind of expect a shirtless Freddie Mercury to burst out singing a chorus to this one. Newlands has Morgan Fallon on vocals again. Another great track. Catchy and rocky. Midway through the song, the beat kicks it up a notch and a pounding, climactic guitar solo is dropped in. Future single? Yes.

2nd last track and rumored next single, Helix, takes us back into disco territory. The chopped up vocal melodies, riffs and compressed beats remind me a little of Phonat. Definitely the funkiest track on the album, it changes atmosphere quite a few times before ending and leading into the title track (and my personal favorite). A brilliant conclusion to the album. Lyrically, not much happening. Musically, it pulses and kicks. I can see them opening their live shows with this song. Or maybe finishing it with this song.

An entirely different beast to their debut, but a very welcome addition to their catalogue, Audio Video Disco might sound like noise to some, but is worthy of repeated, extended plays. It’s growing on me the more I play it. A mature step forward for the Justice boys, it completely achieves the stadium rock aspect of the concept. Overall it’s a succinct, concise album, which never strays too far from the brief. It’s an electrifying enterprise looking back at the best of rock and roll through the eye’s of two quirky French guys from Paris.

Album Review: Bjork – Biophilia

Bow down to the queen. Biophilia is an amazing record. Not only is Bjork at the peak of her vocal power and knowledge, but she is also soulfully engaged in life and all the possibilities music has to offer. This is her most unconventional and wholly successful album of her career. I’m pretty sure some of the biggest artists in the world looked on in envy at the advance publicity for Biophilia. It’s been heralded not merely as an important new release but the future of the entire record industry. And every so often an album comes along that not only justifies its hype but outweighs it.

Quite the all-rounder, this is the first album to be released as a suite of iPad and iPhone apps. Each track representing an app, which also comes with it’s own game and essay relating to the theme/name of the track. It’s also a semi-educational project for children using sound, texts and visuals. It took three years to make, a period that involved discussions not only with Björk’s record company, but also Apple and National Geographic. New musical instruments were designed and built and Bjork got David Attenborough to narrate the intro. And to top it all off, the album premiered onboard IcelandAir flights.

But enough about the accoutrements. Is the music any good? Yes. Not as introverted as Vespertine, but a worthy companion in terms of tone and sound. I definitely prefer this album to her previous record, Volta – mainly because there’s almost no brass instruments present here. I hate brass instruments.

Biophilia is all the better for it. Music for headphones. At night. In a forest somewhere. Stargazing.

Now, for the next album, can we please get some kind of back-to-basics dance album?

New Video : Yuksek

What a disappointment the latest Yuksek album Living On The Edge of Time was, the first time I heard it. After that banger of a debut album Away From The Sea?! I can name 8 tracks from that album, and I haven’t even listened to it in a while. How many tracks can you actually remember off the new album? Exactly. Only 1. The first single (and only amazing track off it), On A Train.

Well he now has another single out. A track called Always On The Run. It also has a video.

 

Review: Zola Jesus – Conatus

Zola Jesus. Where do I begin? Russian-American Nika Roza Danilova, a trained opera singer, who – over the course of a couple albums and EPs, made Goth-pop cool. One of the most polarizing voices in all of recorded music, her voice is musical-marmite. You’ll either love her or hate her. Her latest album Conatus continues the evolution of her sound, inching closer to that Nine Inch Nails-industrial sound that she’s always teased us with.

From a strictly instrumental standpoint, Conatus is a marvel, filled with colorful details and worldly flair—big-ass beats, rattling synths, and striking production that gives every sound a newfound sheen. Add to that Danilova’s unique vocals, you end up with an album that’s both remarkable and macabre. Despite it’s uneven spark, the best bits sting like cigarette ash in the cornea.

Watch the video for first single Vessel below.

 

How much do you know about DNTEL?

And be honest please. Thought so – probably not much. This is all you need to know:

  1. Real name: James Scott “Jimmy” Tamborello
  2. Sometimes prefers being called James Figurine
  3. Is one third of Figurine
  4. Was one half of Postal Service

Now, who of you have heard of Enya? Exactly. Well, DNTEL has a new allbum out called Enya Mixes. It’s a 9-track album and it contains remixed versions of his personal favorite Enya songs. Is it good? Yes.

Exhibit A:

Incoming: Plaid – Scintilli

How much do you know about Plaid? Probably not much. I first discovered them at The Res festival a few years ago, when one of their music videos were featured. (This one). Their music is a mixture of electronic, IDM & techno. They used to be a part of The Black Dog. They have also remixed Bjork and Goldfrapp. Some of it is quite melodic and beautiful, while the rest of their music makes you scratch your head in a “How did they make that?!”-kinda way. Always keeping it fresh.

They have a new album out on Warp Records, called Scintilli. It’s quite good. I gave it a good spin on the weekend and I am loving it. Below is my favorite track off the new album. Give it a listen. I dare you.

Incoming: Penguin Prison

This dude has been on my plain for a bloody long time – far down below, but always in sight. He started making a name for himself by remixing some big names and then teasing us with his own solo stuff. He’s been quite busy. Touring with Jamiroquai. And he has an ear for a good hook. Oh – and he’s really good live too. He jumps off the stage with his guitar and waves it in your face while doing some mad guitar solo and everything. And he even does a little meet-and-greet afterwards. First-hand experience here. I bet you he cuddles afterwards..

But back to the music. He is finally releasing his debut album. I’m listening to it right now. It very good. It’s coming out this month and I highly recommend you make the effort and support this dude by buying his album – I don’t think he has much money. The album is damn good and worth the 8 quid. Go on.

Here’s the video for Something I’m Not - my favorite Penguin song.