Album Review: Hot Chip - The Warning

The Warning is undoubtedly one of the more awaited albums of this year and from the opening synths of 'Careful' it doesn't disappoint. This is the sound of a band that seem to have made a calculated decision to sound even more contemporary.

'Colours' is a gorgeous audible moebius strip, lyrics gradually twisting in on themselves. 'Over & Over' is so knowing it hurts, a song that it is surely impossible to dislike. As with their debut, The Warning seems unafraid of a bit of melancholy, with the wonderfully wistful 'Just Like We (Breakdown)' being a prime example. Elsewhere things are sweetly saccharine on 'Look After Me' and 'So Glad To See You'.

When the band gently insist that "Hot Chip will break your legs, snap off your head" on the album's title track upon a bed of melodic electronics and clicks and pops the effect is very endearing. The fact that one journalist (unsure of the citation - possibly The Observer Music Monthly) nearly wrote The Warning off because the band didn't sound threatening enough for this line illustrates a clear lake of understanding or musical appreciation.

The album highlight is the closing track proper, 'No Fit State', a New Order-esque to feeling decidedly off colour - probably inspired by an ill fitting sweater - that starts off on a downer but ends up soaring into the stratosphere. A beautiful piece of music that immediately makes you want to return to track one and start over, the only problem is the average hidden track that follows it up.

Essential.

P.S. Does anyone else find that 'Careful' reminds them of the title screen in videogame Rez?

Single: Justice vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends

It might be a song almost as old as time itself but it's difficult not to agree with bigstereo's ascertation that Justice seem destined for big things. 'We Are your Friends' is simply one of those universally loved songs... Different enough for the discerning electronic music fan yet in your face enough to be instantly memorable and virtually impossible to forget. What's more, with other tracks as good as 'Waters of Nazareth' it looks like the quality control is already in place. Enjoy...

Album Review - Nick Rhodes and John Taylor Present Only After Dark

Being a fan of Duran Duran, when the glorious packaging of Only After Dark leapt off of the shelves of Virgin Megastore BlackPlastic couldn't resist this collection of songs chosen by two band members. Recently BlackPlastic has been reading Rip It Up And Start Again by Simon Reynolds, a detailed account of Post Punk in the late 70s-early 80s and whilst there is an official album to accompany that book BlackPlastic can't help but think this is better. Many of the book's most frequently referred to tracks occur on this album, together in a lovely programmed set. It's just a shame it hasn't been properly mixed.

Only After Dark starts with the lovely 'Being Boiled' by the Human League, analogue synths spitting and good old fashioned space-age electronic drums earily backing things up. Further along, David Bowie's gloriously wasted 'Always Crashing the Same Car' sounds like it comes from a parallel universe.

Highlights are really to numerous to mention... The pitch black synths on John Foxx's 'Underpass', the fantastic mash up of twisted lyrics and jarring synths on The Normal's 'Warm Leatherette' (which ultimately lead to the creation of Mute Records by its creator).

Bryan Ferry's glam 'In Crowd' is fantastically ridiculous, whilst Brian Eno's 'The True Wheel' reminds you exactly why he is so revered. A glorious combination of pop and and the production of a genius. Gary Numan's classic "Are Friends Electric?" (under the guise of Tubeway Army) shows just how easy it must have been for Richard X (God love him) to turn The Sugababes around from also-rans who lost their most important member to the biggest girl group of the noughties.

'I Am The Fly' by Wire is a great mix of distortion and punk vocals whilst Magazine's 'Shot By Both Sides' is sadly probably more relevant to our current political situation that it was even when it was written.

All these highlights on one album... and there's been no mention of Donna Summer's appearance with the most exciting song of all time, Grace Jones' tripped out 'Private Life' (which sounds like it inspired the terminally naff 'Not Over Yet' by Grace) or Iggy Pop's 'The Passenger'. This is the sound of the most important period in british music history and BlackPlastic recommends you check it out.

July song of the month...

It's been a tough decision this month but when BlackPlastic thinks back to what has been enjoyed the most recently there can be only one real contender.

The first Super Discount album by Etienne De Crécy was critically acclaimed and whilst parts of it were undoubtably enjoyable, BlackPlastic never quite warmed to it as much as some. It was a little too... Well, French actually. A little too funky, not quite enough balls, a little bit frilly.

When Super Discount 2 came out BlackPlastic took little notice until it heard the rather ace 'Fast Track', with its gritty, live-sounding bassline and bucket loads of acid. This was what the first album had lacked. But whilst July's song of the month is taken from Super Discount 2, it is not 'Fast Track', but the LP closer, 'Overnet'.

Built upon a relentless groove of acid clashes and throbbing basslines it's difficult not to warm to 'Overnet'. It's not necessarily that clever, it's not doing anything all that new, but by God its got balls. As layer after layer gets thrown into the mix things just get more and more exciting, this is the kind of song that should never stop... Alex Gopher and Etienne De Crécy just keep tweeking this thing to perfection. Into the perfect movement song. Whether you're dancing at a club, driving a car or working out at the gym, 'Overnet' will make it seem better.

Album Review - Fabric Live 28 mixed by Evil Nine

The latest in the Fabric series of mix albums, this time selected and mixed by Evil Nine, was not one BlackPlastic was particularly expecting to be impressed by, but sometimes low expectations lead to a pleasant surprise.

Evil Nine have long been known for their DIY approach to break beat, but on the whole this Fabric album is a house affair. One exception to this is opening track, Evil Nine's own remix of Will Saul's 'Where Is It?' featuring Ursula Rucker's emotive vocals. Underlined by an almost unbelievably fat beat, 'Where Is It?' sounds like a revolution.

Simian Mobile Disco and a Switch remix of the terminally naff Bodyrockers keep things moving along but it is when the edgier, rock-flecked sounds of Riton's 'Anger Man' kick in that things really pick up again. An acid line shimmies up against a pounding, live sounding drum beat as 'Anger Man' melts into Riton's take on the Mystery Jet's 'The Boy Who Ran Away'. As Blaine Harrison cries out "Solace..." over Riton's distorted electronics and drums with the Jets' bassline it's hard to stop yourself imagining a world where rock music was always this exciting.

Square waves abound in Paul Woolford's relatively brutal 'Erotic Discourse' and Boys Noize's 'Volta 82' prior to a mildly breaks-inspired track by Bassbin Twins - 'The Dogs'. Digitalism make Daft Punk sound fresh again on 'Technologic', kicking off this mixes final, and best, third. Guitars and synths fight for the limelight before Justice turn up and steal the glory with their take on Franz Ferdinand's 'The Fallen'. Justice's mix is entitled 'Ruined by Justice', and they'd almost be right if they weren't so damn fresh - everything, including the kitchen sink, is thrown out to create a rock, hip hop, house mess that, once again, conjures up thought's of Daft Punk's heyday.

Boys Noize turn up once more to mess with The Kreep's fantastically titled 'All I Wanna Do Is Break Some Hearts' - imagine a fight in an underground car park in Birmingham featuring some ASBO'd, pissed up youths and this is probably what would be tumbling out of the stereo on the bright yellow Ford Escort in the corner (if they had any taste). Huge drums and basslines combine to re-invent hooligan house.

Last year's stoopidist band, Test Icicles, feature with a Digitalism mix of 'What's Your Damage?'. This is an album that begs to be played too loud out of car windows. The only other remotely breaks track is B-Movie's 'Nowhere Girl', remixed by Adam Freeland. B-Movie are somewhat appropriately named, since whilst this doesn't sound like the soundtrack to Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, it certainly has a filmic edge, bringing Fabric Live 28 to a close on The Clash's 'London Calling'. An appropriately punk-y finish to the most in your face Fabric album for a while. With a mix album this good BlackPlastic looks forward to Evil Nine's next LP - here's hoping it captures some of the punk energy displayed here.