Various
Artists
Kitsune
Maison compilation 2
Fans of Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show may already
be aware of ultra-hip French label Kitsune. This is the second
compilation from the label, which veers more towards electronica,
but has a refreshingly loose approach to genres and styles.
If you have an adventurous musical tastes, and enjoy progressive,
booty-shaking beats, then you might want to give this a try.
The already-notorious remix of Bloc Party’s ‘Banquet’
(courtesy of Boys Noize), is included here. You’ll either
love it or hate it, but either way is shows that the original
was at heart a dance record. The remix of Wolfmother’s ‘Woman’
is better, it’s not just funky, it’s fonky, with an
‘o’.
Digitalism are one of the many groups being touted as ‘the
new Daft Punk’ (see also Mstrkrft and Justice). But this
is not Top-Shop friendly disco-house. Their ‘Jupiter Room’
is a sleazy stomp which erupts into a skull-crushing electro-drone.
That’s a good thing, by the way.
If you want a fix of disco campery, try the insanely catchy ‘Popper’
by Christopher and Raphael Just. Remixed here by Shinichi Osawa,
it strikes the perfect balance between fierce and frivolous.
Adam Sky (a.k.a Adamski) provides the anthemic ‘Ape-X’,
which sounds like someone has plonked a 70’s TV theme tune
in the middle of German nosebleed techno. And you don’t
hear that everyday.
On an indie tip, Cazals are the latest in a long line of Jam sound-a-likes,
but they’re very convincing, and definitely ones to watch
for the future.
Jenny Wilson seems a little out-of-place here, and sounds a bit
like Mel C. Elsewhere, Simian serve up cheeky, memorable break-beat,
and Fox N Wolf give us some classic, old-skool vibes.
All in all, this is a refreshingly random collection, with bags
of attitude. It’s the perfect antidote to the current post-Doherty
pop swamp.
by
David Wright
