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Various The Best of Cerrone Productions
Everyone from The Beastie Boys to Run DMC have sampled French disco icon Marc
Cerrone: it’s hard to imagine Daft Punk without his influence. This brilliant 2-CD set
spans 38 tracks from the drummer, composer/producer, including a slick new version of
his global 1977 hit Supernature sung by The Gossip’s Beth Ditto. The songs are stuffed
with glaring neon hooks, hustling rhythms, shivering strings and other opulent extras.
Plus plenty of sex, from the whispered cooing that starts Midnite Lady to the pleading
title of Take Me. (Even the instrumental Striptease lives up to its name.) But there’s
morality in there too, from Don Ray’s takedown of selfish lovers on Got to Have Lovin’
to the ominous environment message of Supernature. And while it might not convert
someone who hates disco, Revelacion’s Mariachi-flavoured take on House of the
Rising Sun must be heard to be believed. This treasure trove is strongest in the original
selections, but there are serviceable remixes by Dmitri from Paris, Alan Braxe and A-Trak
& Codes, while Cycle’s Woman features Santana’s band. But there’s no topping the lush
trappings and frantic party-starting that Cerrone made his signature. Warner
Beat Spacek
Modern Streets
Half of the thrumming duo Africa HiTech, UK singer/producer Steve
Spacek crafted his new solo album mostly with iPhone and iPad apps.
That doesn’t make it any less accomplished, and as usual there’s no
dampening Spacek’s restless enthusiasm. The itchy pulse of standouts like Tonight and
I Want You steer us through all the collaged layers without sacrificing the emotional
impact of the vocals and lyrics. “These are the London streets,” he repeats on the title
track, which illuminates wealth disparity with convincing detail. Ninja Tune/Inertia
Man Without Country Maximum Entropy
Welsh duo Man Without Country make stadium-sized electronic pop
that’s all about hugeness, from hooks and beats to choruses and
emotions. All that bludgeoning gets our attention, but the songs are
bland at heart. With vocals from M83 singer White Sea, Laws of Motion
evokes a generic ’80s hit repurposed for the EDM boom, while lyrics like “I want to swim in
your oil spill” should have remained on the proverbial cutting-room floor, albeit with catchy
pop moments, like Sweet Harmony. Liberator/Universal
Ben Frost Variant
Remix EPs are usually all too ephemeral, but this one benefits from having
Ben Frost’s monumental noise totem A U R O R A as its source material.
Evian Christ somehow turns the overwhelming single Venter into a squelchy
dance piece, while Dutch E Germ taps its harsh ambience and Australia’s
own HTRK make it smoothly low-key. Kangding turns No Sorrowing into a flickering trance,
and Regis recasts Nolan as clattering diffusion. These five moody dissections are almost as
inspiring as the album from whence they came. Mute/Create Control/Universal
Petite Noir The King of Anxiety
South African multi-hyphenate Yannick Ilunga is bursting with promise
(and hype), recalling everyone from Tinariwen and TV on the Radio to
modern left-field R’n’B. This five-song EP is designed as an introduction to
his well-oiled methods, which include hypnotic vocal repetition on Come
Inside and a dreamy vocal range against twitching loops on breakout single Chess. Those
methods can begin to feel formulaic by the end of the EP, but those first two songs are so
good that it’s easy to become a believer. Domino/EMI/Universal
Doug Wallen dances with himself.
Charli XCX Sucker
Pop is a complex word, open to interpretation. Defining one record or
another as pop can be a risky enterprise, but Sucker leaves us in no
doubt. This record is a powerful statement and a series of complex,
multi-layered compositions from an artist who understands pop and
knows how to write and perform it to maximum effect. The album is personal, poetic,
authentic, surreal, elusive, and ecstatic. This is Charlotte Aitchison’s third album, and
follows songwriting credits for artists such as Icona Pop and Iggy Azelea. The experience
and talent shows on hits such as Boom Clap , which take the listener straight into the
overwhelming physical and emotional cacophony of pure romance. Warner
Hanni El Khatib Moonlight
Hanni El Khatib is taking himself into uncharted terrain on third album
Moonlight. The Californian artist prepared for this record by meditating
in isolation for a 30 day period. The result is a musical epiphany of blues,
raw rock, garage soul and a foundation of hip hop rhythms. The energy
of earlier records remains, especially audible on the fuzzed out guitars of Melt Me and the
percussive rocking title track. There’s also a contemplative quality to songs such as Worship
Song (No 2) and Dance Hall, driven by slower tempos and reflective lyrics. Pod/Inertia
Various Artists So Frenchy, So Chic 2015
This annual compilation has become something of a seasonal tradition.
Now in its 11th year, the albums offer an engaging way to catch
up on the past 12 months of new French music, and revisit some
favourites along the way. As ever there’s a real mix across the 2-CD
set, representing the diversity and strength of the contemporary French scene. Highlights
include the soaring electronic sounds of The Dø, the ‘80s indebted dance of Cléa Vincent,
and the sophisticated pop of Emilie Simon. Cartell/Inertia
he & Him Classics
he & Him is the project of Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward, artists with a healthy
ppreciation of tradition. Over the course of several original albums and a
hristmas record they’ve mastered a distinct style of nostalgic retro pop, and
ontinue their sonic explorations with perhaps the next logical step: a covers LP.
Classics is a collection of standards drawn from the American songbook of the past half century or
so, played in a sweet, understated manner. The results are gentle and charming; Ella Fitzgerald and
Louis Armstrong’s jazz duetWould You Like to Take a Walk? to Dusty Springfield’s country pop Stay
Awake, amongst others, are all imbued with a gentle acoustic and subtle samba pop style. Sony
Mary J.Blige The London Sessions
Mary J. Blige is a living legend, an artist with a legacy of achievement
across decades few could imagine, let alone hope to match. Routinely
ranked among the greatest and most influential singers of all time, Mary has
also been described as the Queen of hip-hop soul. Given the accolades and
extensive recording career, it’s illuminating to hear this new album of original
material, produced in collaboration with a crew of upcoming UK dance
music talent. Disclosure, Emeli Sandé and Sam Smith all offer a range of
contemporary R&B, house, and soul tracks to highlight Mary’s versatility. The
overall result is arguably Mary J. Blige’s strongest LP for many years, and
another stage in her evolution as an artist. Emi/Universal
Dan Rule is a writer, publisher, art critic and total hip hop fanatic.
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