It’s been four years since the music world was graced with the news it’s ok to be a cowboy. Negatory, no mountains with spinal injuries here but something as genre-defining as that as Mr. Pascal Arbez aka Vitalic dropped his album, “OK Cowboy“, on us.
Time’s trickled on, BPMs have been raised and lowered as everyman and his gramophone-adoring dog has jumped on the electro bandwagon, most making fly-vs.-windshield impacts few keeping the wheels greased while holding the course.
Vitalic‘s second album, “Flashmob“, explodes with the honed industrial funk that is infused in his style. ‘See the Sea (Red)‘ is an organized squeak of beats, beeps and drive with his ‘custom made’ baselines you immediately recognize the stamp. If this track is the elegantly bullish brother, then ‘See The Sea (Blue)‘ is the tempered sister. The counterpiece is a sleeker fairytale rinse of the opening track laced with the robotic filtered vocal he loves to use.
The dark synth and littered vocals are what fans have come to love, heard on yesteryear’s ‘Repair Machines’, ‘LA Rock’ (his signature track and major contributor to his pension fund) and on the Bells EP we had ‘Bells’ and ‘Warm Leatherette’. Now on Flashmob, the track, it manages to work at club, tube and house-party level saying it’s name proudly as the beat and tempo rises like an impatient thermometer eager to hit the drop.
The album appears to be more innovative than it really is and it’s not a flawless album, (what is there days?) but even the initially erratic and maverick ‘Chicken Lady’ soon settles into its place on the record as a dark bass flare that remixers will be clawing to get their button pushing mitts on. Note well people, it is a much-needed record that warrants all-the-way-through listening.
However, do not attempt this while operating heavy machinery or babysitting – this album is on a deadline but despite the pacier and more aggressive parts each track has it’s structure, reaffirming Vitalic as one of the world’s best techno/electro producers firmly placing his attitude and meticulous production betwixt Justice and Daft Punk, also fellow Gallic pioneers of a genre that’s been invaded but resistant to futile try-hards.
Mailer Daemon first came to my attention when I featured Australian band Lions At Your Door and posted his awesomeremix of their track ‘L.A.Y.D.’ . I have played it at Hands Up Who Cares regularly and it never fails to get bodies moving on the dancefloor.
The Malaysian raised Sydney based DJ and producer is gearing up for his own release with a series of mixtapes, energetic DJ performances and an album remixing some of Australia’s brightest talent.
Mark Ronson meets Timbaland? Watch him take his East vs West hip-hop and electro beats to the next level
Múm’s fabulously titled debut ‘Yesterday Was Dramatic- Today Is OK’ was hailed as a genre masterpiece upon its release and its sound was quickly seized upon by others. The Icelandic collective’s seamless blending of atypical electronic sounds with traditional instrumentations had me wondering where they would turn next at every subsequent release.
Several lineup changes and albums later the band are gearing up to release ‘Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know’ and by the sound of the title track they continue to meddle with awkward sounds and curious vocal deliveries. The track is occasionally eerie but possesses an obvious organic quality.
I look forward to yet another curiously named and brilliantly sounding album.
Rescue Cat hit me up with his impressive new single, £10 Bag, a couple of months ago. Had it been a tape I would have worn it out by now. Imagine a collision between White Town‘s legendary ‘Your Woman‘ single and Popcorn, the theme from my favourite 80s pc game Digger. With an official itunes release scheduled I thought I should share it with the world.
Listen out for it during my monthly DJ set at Hands Up Who Cares this Saturday 18th.
With a Glastonbury performance this year under his belt and international endorsements its time to adopt Rescue Cat this summer.
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It’s been four years since the music world was graced with the news it’s ok to be a cowboy. Negatory, no mountains with spinal injuries here but something as genre-defining as that as Mr. Pascal Arbez aka Vitalic dropped his album, “OK Cowboy“, on us.
