Rochelle - Chin Up [Single]

Planet Clique records

Rochelle are an unashamed Electro-Pop band from London. Their last single was endorsed by Norman Cook AKA Fatboy Slim, and Chin Up made its debut on Pete Tongs’ Radio One show, “In New Music We Trust”. We can safely assume that the marketing wheel of this band is in full rotation….

Electro Pop has been having a mass revival lately. There now being so many bands that have embraced the electronic sound and jumped on the band-wagon of producing clubby- feel, high tempo, electro inspired songs that work as effectively on the dance floor as they do on the car radio. Rochelle can be added to that list.

Chin Up is a 90’s inspired Electro Pop track that harks back to Madonna in what was then her hey day. The Chin Up single is pretty standard fair, it contains the Radio Edit, an extended Manhattan Edit for the clubs and two more bonus club edits. To be honest the whole single is well produced, well polished and will definitely work both on the radio, and those cheesy clubs that play this type of music…..A hit for Planet Clique records and a hit for Rochelle then. It’s a pity though that this song, or any of the remixes, lack real depth or emotion. Perhaps that is just the way with Electro-Pop these days. There are moments on the single where Rochelle sound like Kosheen, but Rochelle simply don’t have the emotional integrity to match.

It must be said that each and every track on this single has a break down, a hand in the air moment for all you club goers that should, as the production is pretty tight, get the heart beating just a little faster. The Andy George Remix and the A1 Bassline remix couple the vocal with big LFO’d bass lines that splutter and gurge their attack on you, in true “zeitgeist” fashion. In fairness, the Andy George Remix has a lovely breakbeat pattern after a big epic breakdown, but I have a feeling this breakbeat pattern is sampled….

I am struggling here for more things to say about Chin Up or Rochelle. I don’t like it personally, but there are people (and probably many) that will. The lead singer isn’t bad looking, and Rochelle have been packaged quite nicely for that burgeoning Pop/Pop- Club/Electro Pop/Disco Diva Pop market. What more can I say?