Album Review: They Live! - Evil Nine

Back when BlackPlastic first reviewed Evil Nine's FabricLive album it was a pleasant surprise: this wasn't some boring, breaks-fueled yawn affair, it was a Facebook Republican Army-lead riot.

The more BlackPlastic listens to that album the more it becomes apparent that this is a mix album that helped define a genre. It is one of the first mix albums to put Justice, Test Icicles, Mystery Jets and Digitalism into a pot and turn the heat up and it still sounds fresher than most albums that have tried to do the same thing since.

They Live! is the realisation of the dream launched with that mix. This isn't breakbeat but it has breaks. It's not rock msic but it certainly rocks. Previous album You Can Be Special Too had some great crossover moments (the hip-hop influenced 'Crooked' for one) but They Live! works by being more extreme and more appealing at the same time. As if that weren't enough it even has an undead zombie theme.

They Live! does so much that it is one of the finest crossover albums released this year. Title track 'They Live!' is a zombie national anthem, its cold auto-tuned vocals sounding like a clinical and mechanical observation of the apparent futility of human existence.

There are also guest spots (as there were on the last album). El-P turns in a spot on the hard on the outside, soft in the middle 'All The Cash', melancholic in a "I'd throw myself to the zombies to save you" type way. Emily Breeze sounds all goth rock chick in a nineties way that should suck but Evil Nine's minimal approach to thrash metal makes it very, very right.

Concept albums are risky business and, to be honest, BlackPlastic isn't sure this really counts as one because the references are subtle and generally only apparent in tone. Having said which, if They Live! is a concept album then it succeeds with aplomb; this is a blast of a record. If there are any concepts deserving of albums they are surely zombies and / or space. Zombies IN space? We can dream - in the mean time pick up this year's darkest crossover record.

BP x

Video: Kermit I love you but you're bringing me down...

Too good not to share.

Those that have followed BlackPlastic long enough may remember our affection for 'New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down' and those that were paying close attention may recall a certain anonymous commentor's assertion that the opening verse sounds like Kermit the Frog.

Well the Guardian's Music Blog have posted a video in which Kermit performs said song, on location in New York. This is, frankly, genius - stay tuned for the bridge at 3:20 and even better, the twist at the end.

BP x

Competition: Win tickets to New Year's Eve at the O2

There are actually three different events going on at the O2 for New Year's this year and whilst Elton John or Hed Kandi may not take your fancy the party at matter just might, featuring as it does 2 many DJs, The Whip live, Joakim and Riton amongst others.

O2 are giving away tickets to their customers through an image capture competition where you can take a photo of one of their current unbranded 'Priority' ads and send it from your phone for the chance to win.  Rather than forcing you to trawl the streets looking for a billboard we thought we would just post an exlusive image they let us have here - if you fancy a chance at winning you can apparently just take a photo of it and text it to 63333.  There's also an iPhone app coming for those that are a little MMS-deprived.

Click the image for full size...

Good luck...

BP x

Album Review: Fabric 43 - Various selected and mixed by Metro Area

Metro Area's breed of obscure disco and raw 80s funk is always a little in danger of coming across as chin stroking wankery. When it works, as on the sublime 'Caught Up' on their self-titled début (in reality a compilation of EPs), it is utterly fantastic but a mix album just might be a case of over-egging the pudding if it takes itself too seriously.

Which is why Fabric 43 is odd, on two counts. Firstly it features a Fabric first as far as BlackPlastic is concerned: a comedy intro. And secondly because, despite this, it still falls flat.

There are glorious moments - World Premier's 'Share The Night (Breakdown Mix)' is everything that can be right about Metro Area. It is light, funky and impossible to not dance too. The instrumental of Disco Four's 'Move To The Groove' is so ridiculously camp that it is irresistible and the juxtaposition of the pop of Heaven 17's 'Penthouse and the Pavement' plays off the inherent disco of one of Sheffield's whilst loosening up the mix.

The problem is really one of sequencing. BlackPlastic hates to say it but there is too much here and too much of it sounds the same. These cuts are ALL good and within the right mix could standout and be a high point. The problem is that there is a lack of navigation, no peak and no development.

On a more positive note the mixing goes some way to making up for this as the blending between some fairly different tracks (in terms or rhythm and melody if not always style) is considered and smooth.

And so Fabric 43 is good.  It will happily see you through a car journey or a dull morning in the office. It just isn't as great as a mix from Metro Area should be.

BP x

Single Review: Paris - Friendly Fires (again)

Let's keep this brief as we have all but bestowed single of the year status on this track already anyway but it is worth noting the re-release, which comes packed in with a couples of remixes.

The Aeroplane Remix lifts the foot of the gas slightly to create a more electronic but slower paced track. Befittingly it sounds French (Aeroplane are actually from the home of Soulwax and the Glimmers, Ghent in Belgium) but importantly it gives those lovely Au Revoir Simone vocals a bit more space. The result is a bit melancholic and beautiful, a soundtrack for the journey home from Paris rather than the trip out.

The Justus Köhncke Remix is similar in many ways but twists things in a slightly different direction. It still feels retrospective but has a touch more positivity. It lacks those Au Revoir vox though but what it does have my friends, is space. Bags of it. Over it's ten minutes it is one of those pieces of music that is more about the parts that aren't played than those that aren't. The drum kick is nice and fresh and it combines well with some warm melodic instrumentation to make a sophisticated big room sound that is much more understated than you would expect from a remix of a track as exciting as Paris.

Both are awesome and compliment each other well. Grab on iTunes, eMusic, Boomkat or in Woolworths (joke, they've probably closed down since I wrote this).

BP x