Record Label: Elektra/WEA
Release Date: October 24, 2011
Parental Advisory?: No
I've never been huge on dance music. Specifically electronic or techno dance music, although you will never see me 'tearin' it up' in 'da club' to the latest pop stylings either. Fifteen years ago I would have said that the reason I dislike the house genre is because it lacked soul. That DJs don't make music, because the real music is already on the record they're spinning, and no amount of mixing or rearranging will qualify the output as a real original creation. Maybe my prejudice against electronica stems from this irrational, yet deep-seated idea that any recording artist whose main instrument is a computer or a record player is somehow cheating.
Today I'm a little older and a little wiser. In more recent years, I've learned that there is real talent in matching up beats and fills. There is especially talent required in the production of a toe-tapping hook. Justice (comprised of Gaspard AugĂ© and Xavier de Rosnay) is partially responsible for helping me come to these realizations. The French duo's 2007 debut '†', was a dance album filled with overwhelming bass lines and deep rumbling synths that managed to somehow stay light and poppy. Over the top of all the deep low ends were melodies heavily tinged with rock and indie sensibilities as well as a dash of disco. The result was a record that was met with a fair amount of critical acclaim, including Grammy nominations. It was also one of those rare electronic albums I connected with, so it was with some anticipation that I looked forward to their second studio album Audio, Video, Disco.
If the loud in your face-ness of '†' is Justice's garage rock take on dance, then Audio, Video, Disco is their prog rock statement. Right off the bat the duo's debt to bands like Yes, Rush and Queen is apparent. In fact, one might even think the opening track is a long lost 1979 B-side from some premiere progressive rock band, at least right up to the 1:05 mark when the big sloppy beats kick in that is. That's not to say that the illusion is destroyed at that point. The chest-rattling synths have been dialed back a bit on this sophomore effort, likely to accommodate, and keep from drowning out, the more complex melodies laid out on these tracks. Melodies that whisper names like Jethro Tull and King Crimson throughout the disc. Melodies that, at times, even border on the theatrical.
While their debut was more instrumental in nature, some of '†'s biggest standouts featured a vocal track. Namely "D.A.N.C.E." and "TThhee Ppaarrttyy." On AVD there's even more emphasis on vocals, resulting in a somewhat mixed bag. When it works, it works well- as can be heard on the tracks "Ohio" and "On'n'on" where the vocals genuinely add something to the song. In the worst cases, the vocal arrangements fall flat, and at times even come off as borderline indulgent. Almost as if they were conceived merely to accentuate the prog rock bent of the album.
Much of the album sounds forced, and I think a lot of it does have to do with the progressive rock theme. Still, you do have to respect an artist that takes chances. While much of the scene has trended toward dubstep, it would have been all too easy for Justice to fall into that syrupy and sludgy sound. Instead, they not only buck the current trend, but risk alienating their core audience with some of the choices they made for the follow up to an award winning album.
Audio, Video, Disco may be successful as a counter statement regarding the condition of the scene. In much the same way as their debut's thick, sloppy beats could have been seen as a counter to the antiseptic Daft Punk sound that dominated the mid-aughts. As an album however, it's less successful. AVD does have its share of high watermarks, but is ultimately marred by the forced prog rock perspective, resulting in a somewhat uneven listening experience.
To learn more about Slackers, visit http://slackers.com/! Where playing around is serious business.
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