Chromeo - DJ Kicks [Album]

!K7

October 3, 2009, 06:40 PM

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As this record was created as a faux DJ set I think it's fair for me to judge it on that criteria, and as a set of dependable disco floor-fillers Chromeo's "DJ Kicks" set is mostly a success.

How much you enjoy this CD ultimately depends on your tolerance levels for cheesy 80's disco (and I must say I was tested). In fact over more than an hour I was subjected to so much synth-disco-pop I didn't even notice when the band slipped in one of their own tracks - an unrecognisable cover of the Eagles 'I Can't Tell You Why.' This is the first DJ Kicks album for a few years now and Chromeo have really stepped up to the plate, their set is (for the most part) a thrilling ride through messers P-Thugg and Dave 1's record collection. They have wisely decided to focus almost entirely on vintage tracks, adding a modern sheen only when they deem it necessary. Here you get everything from 80's French electro to Leo Sayer (yes really) and it all flows together wonderfully with expert beat mapping and impeccable sequencing. The tracks move seamlessly into one another and the mood shifts tangeabley throughout from upbeat, party disco, to the more reserved, soulful numbers at the records tail end.

Of course the best thing about these kind of sets is that they introduce you to artists you would never have discovered otherwise. Tracks like France Joll's 'Gonna Get Over You' proved a minor revelation for me, a brilliant slice of horn-laden disco-pop which slots in perfectly with the more spaced out pieces such as Lovelocks 'Maybe Tonight'.

Chromeo have delivered an engaging (if frankly over long) set which underlines why they have managed to avoid being lumped in with the asanine 80's revival of the last 2 years. They haven't forgotten their geeky roots in obscure, foreign electro music and they manage to make even the cheesiest of tracks sound effortlessly cool. Their "DJ KICKS" is a labour of love that even people indifferent to disco (such as myself) can enjoy, even when stone sober.

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