Clarkson Integrator

In 2003, French electronic-duo Justice remixed a song by Simian, a four-piece electro-rock band. The evolution from Simian's original Never Be Alone to Justice vs. Simian's "We are your friends" is astounding (both songs are easy to find on Youtube). The original seems to be a conflicted, awkward, stumbling dance - one instant electronic, then indie, then rock, then dance. Justice blended it all into a song that swept across the internet like wildfire and launched their careers.

After Simian shows, band members James Ford and James Shaw would DJ sets, as Simian Mobile Disco. In 2005, Simian split up and Ford and Shaw dedicated more time to Simian Mobile Disco, which has received acclaim on its own for remixes of artists like the Klaxons, Air, and The Rapture. Simian Mobile Disco's Ford has produced albums for Mercury Prize winners the Arctic Monkeys and Klaxons.

In June, both Justice and Simian Mobile Disco released their first full length EPs. Justice's is named †, which is really only frustrating if you're trying to write about it. Simian Mobile Disco's is named Attack Decay Sustain Release.

Justice - Cross

The opening notes to † (Cross) are ominous, like the imperial march. Then they fatten out, fill your subwoofer, shake your floor, and introduce you to a wholly remarkable forty-eight minutes of music.

I will tell you this: the first time you listen to this album, turn the volume up, loud. This is not background music. This is not soft music that fills the space between conversations. It is driving music - adrenaline tunes. It is music that you should feel in your heart - literally.

Cross is noise - brilliantly crafted and assembled noise, inspired, not by some elusive muse, but perhaps by Thor himself: thunder, dark swirling clouds, and on the edge of disaster, a shout of joy at the struggle and triumph of life.

This is surprisingly good.

I'll highlight "Genesis" - the first track - along with "Phantom" (both parts) and "Waters of Nazareth" as the most emblematic of that roaring, engine-thunder sound. They are the most energy-filled, in a head-banging sort of way.

This is not heavy metal, though. This is dance music, and if it can't get you moving, then you might be stuck to the floor. One of the title tracks is "D.A.N.C.E," - which is apparently "rocking the dance floor" or "a hit across the nation." Eh, it sounds like a modern version of a kids song or a Jackson 5 tune. It was remixed by MSTRKRFT, who produced a much better version. You can find that easily enough on the internet.

There is only one track which is worse: "The Party," featuring fellow Ed Banger artist Uffie. Wikipedia says that this track is actually titled, "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy" and that should give you an idea about how annoying it is. I would call it, "Woman Talks Before AND During Song" or "It's Easier to Bear This Annoying Girl When There Is Music." Uffie's rapping is bad, and there is very little else to listen to. I've listened to it once all the way through, and do not want to repeat the experience.

Cross is filled with remarkably good songs, though. "Valentine" is the perfect lazy Sunday song. "DVNO" is a good dance track. "Stress" is, actually, a little stressful and a little stress-relieving. "New Jack" is wonderfully glitchy. "Let There Be Light" begins as a drum track with slow pitches played atop, but evolves into a catchy song.

Like a giant fire, Justice's first album roars and crackles and constantly shifts, never falling into too-repetitive rhythms, and always going into new places without leaving you pressing the repeat button to hear the melodies again.

Justice has proved, through this album and their remixes, that they have the talent and ability to be huge. Cross is an astounding album, one of the most consistently good ones that I have found. Remember the name, and if you're a fan of techno rock music, definitely look into it.

Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release

Simian Mobile Disco is a whole different sound from Justice. This is techno electronic: beeps and boops and manufactured sounds. This album has more than three tracks with lyrics, and those tracks are some of the best, not some of the worst.

The lyrics on "It's the beat" go "You know it's one for the treble / Two for the bass / It's the beat. / It's the beat. / It's the beat. / It's the beat." And I wonder how Ford and Shaw came up with that specific treble to bass combination, when their EP seems to use an inverse ratio.

I have mixed feelings on this album. In the end, I'm glad I have it in my collection; there are three or four tracks that are very good. But one of my motivations for buying CDs is so that I can play them in my car, and Attack Decay Sustain Release has too much mediocre filler to make it something that I can play straight through. Maybe it's too techno for me, and I need drugs to truly appreciate it. But if I'm on drugs, I really shouldn't be in my car.

Luckily, the good songs are all near the beginning. "Sleep Deprivation" is a thumping good song, which I can easily see listening to at 4:00 a.m. to keep myself awake. "Hustler" is also one of the best tracks on it (ironically, "Hustler" is about stealing CDs from the record store, and after having listened to "I Got This Down," I was wondering if that would have been a better option). "I Believe" is a soft tune, good for relaxing, and well put together.

"I Got This Down" is a bad song. The people talking annoyingly over it make it almost unbearable. "Hotdog" also suffers, though to a lesser degree, from terrible lyrics.

Other songs are good techno, but nothing remarkable - nothing I would single out, nothing that I'm going to be including in mix tapes a year from now (or even a month from now).

You can get two of the tracks DRM-free from Amazon MP3 for $0.99, and any of them with DRM from iTunes for the same price.

Overall, it was an underwhelming album. I was hoping that I would find more great music like the things that I had heard from Simian Mobile Disco, but I didn't.

Simian Mobile Disco is a fantastic band name, though.

Daft Punk

So I've just reviewed two techno albums without mentioning Daft Punk once. The truth here is that both are talented artists and some of their songs evoke similar feeling as Daft Punk albums. Neither Justice nor Simian Mobile Disco have yet achieved the level of awesomeness which involves wearing robot suits during all public appearances (and then creating a movie about wearing human suits over the robot suits), or creating a mind-blowingly awesome live show centered around a light-pyramid.

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