Album Review: Dystopia - Midnight Juggernauts

Another week, another Australian electronic music album: Midnight
Juggernauts' Dystopia further embraces the bands movement towards
dance and comes hot on the heels of a series of great albums from down
under.

Opening with a dark instrumental the conjures images of deep space
Dystopia soon reveals its true colours with the crackling electronic
rock of 'Ending of an Era': live drums back up thudding synths whilst
falsetto vocals carry a sun-tinged chorus.

And there it is. Dystopia falls perfectly on the divide between rock
and dance music. It's more rock than Justice, more dance than LCD
Soundsystem and Dystopia sounds like Midnight Juggernauts re-wrote
Digitalism's 'Pogo' 13 times. Yet by adding an additional layer of
melody it is still their own.

So one minute 'Into the Galaxy' is punky Talking Heads-esque verses,
the next a chorus spins things off in a rocket ride of melody. If all
this sounds good for the head but lacking much for the body then check
'Road to Recovery': when the synths kick in things sound defiantly
determined to make you move.

Dystopia is a record that is great just because it sounds so fresh.
Justice may make dance music influenced by rock but this is rock music
made using dance techniques and it shines. When the shimmering synths
of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues' break through the downbeat verse the song
structure follows the rock coventions of old: it's a Pixies quiet LOUD
quiet formula but applied to dance it sounds irrepresively fresh.

Three great Australian albums in less than three months? Something
must be in the water. Whatever... BlackPlastic isn't one to question.
Time to sit back and enjoy another electronic music renaissance.

BP x

Album Review: Apocalypso - The Presets

Could this really be yet more Australian goodness?

The Presets always struck BlackPlastic as somewhat also-rans. Sure, Beams had its moments but it never felt right for the dancefloor and it certainly lacked the depth needed for continued home listening.

Apocalypso isn't a departure, it is a refinement. Fans of Beams have nothing to fear... Whilst here is more melody there is also more bass and by stretching things in every direction The resets have been able to do more whilst retaining what made them different.

The result is an album that definately removes them from the 'also-ran' category. You should lready know 'My People'. It's a devastating migraine of a track, a true call to arms that gets better the more you hear it... Basslines chew you up and spit you out without pausing for thought whilst a chorus aches to be heard all over the radio, pop skills dripping from the pores.

If 'My People' is rewards repeat listens then Apocalypso digs itself into your heart like a series Nandos habit. Soon you can't help but life the fired-up fury and the easy entrance and exit policy. Apocalypso doesn't take itself overly seriously but doesn't undermine what it is either.

So 'This Boy's In Love' mixes tranced-up glow sticks and hands-aloft melodies with 80s lyrics and teenage rebellion, the soundtrack to a modern day Breakfast Club. 'Talk Like That' is gothic-opera-pomp and bassline-grimein turns with a chorus made of stiched-up vocals and melodic harmonies, proof that what Apocalypso does best is blend.

And what a melting-pot it turns out to be. 'Eucalyptus' is all kraut-rock, speedy punk drums until a gentle vocal tried to overpower the backing for the chorus and it all twists up into a climatic post-punk freak-out. 'If I Know You' mixes Spandau Ballet vocals with minimal-house and live keys, it's almost a ballad and, frankly, it's great.

All this and the album highlight hasn't even been mentioned. 'Together', grinding and stuttering its way to a shout out chorus, screams for end-of-night, open-air-anthem status.

The Modular collective are rapidly rendering Ed Banger redudant they have not just the remixes, but the singles and, more importantly, the albums. And there is more to come Enough has been said: Apocalypso is another great record for 2008.

BP x

Album Review: Couples - The Long Blondes

Following a set of remixes last year Erol Alkan returns to production duties for The Long Blondes and unleashes another great album for 2008.

BlackPlastic was a little slow off of the mark on this one. The Long Blondes are from Sheffield and whilst their first album lacked a certain something, coming off a bit like No Doubt in places (and who needs that?), Couples is a refinement of the band's sound.

Opener "Century" is a perfect example of what has changed: this is a track Ladytron would sell there white foundation and black mascara for. With icy synths but a live band backing them up Erol's influence is clear.

This is an album that wears its roots on its sleeve. The aformentioned "Century" sounds like early Human League, particularly when it is cut up by some nasty electronic stabs in the closing minutes. Harking back to the sounds of Sheffield's best bands (there are elements of Pulp here, not to mention the usual post-punk suspects) not only gives the band something on which to define themselves and gives Couples a cohesive feeling.

Within the cohesive whole there is plenty of variation to keep things interesting. "Guilt" combines electronic rhythm together with vocals that veer from pop to icy cold. The vocal whispers at the beginning and the deadpan delivery of "You know what it's like, it's happened to everybody once or twice..." give way to a swagger that could only exist a pop record. "Here Comes The Serious Bit" punks things up with a rapid join-in chorus and bags of attitude and "Too Clever By Half" goes for a minimal approach, setting up vocals against just a rhythm section to create a raw but sassy atmosphere.

Couples single-handedly makes The Long Blondes ones to watch, a mish-mash of differing takes on the same town it is as quintessentially 'Sheffield' as taking the bus up to Crookes or taking a stroll down Eccleshall Road. Much more than their considerably more successful peers, The Artic Monkeys, The Long Blondes capture what is great about their home town.

BP x

JUSTICE - STRESS

 

If BlackPlastic had directed the video for Justice's 'Stress' it would have been rather more mundane. Since 'Stress' represents the perfect soundtrack for one of those hangovers that involves God, pleading and the absolute assertion that you will never drink again it would probably feature a man, a quilt and a sofa, climaxing with a packet of Nurofen.

Instead Justice let some guy set the music to a documentary following the editorial team of the Daily Mail on a typical day out of the office.

BlackPlastic is off for a lie down because, frankly, this is too scary for words.

BP x