Röyksopp ft. Karen Harding - "Unity"

Norwegian electronic legends Röyksopp sign up UK singer Karen Harding for the break-beat delight that is "Unity."  Harding's vocals are so on point.

Röyksopp ft. Alison Goldfrapp - "Impossible"

Last year, Röyksopp announced their latest non-album format project called Profound Mysteries and previewed it with two instrumentals. The latest from that series is a collaboration with Alison Goldfrapp, who lends her enigmatic vocals over a squelchy, groovy beat.

Jam of the Day: Röyksopp - "Shores of Easy (Lost Tapes)"

Röyksopp has been releasing a steady stream of B-Sides, outtakes, and rarities as a playlist called Lost Tapes. I am really digging the almost 14-minute "Shores of Easy," which slowly builds from lengthy synth squalls to delightful acid bass squiggles to a finale that sends the song off into the stratosphere.

Jam of the Day: Röyksopp - "Never Ever ft. Susanne Sundfør"

I haven't heard Röyksopp being this loose and fun in a long time.

Videos of the Week

Happy Friday everyone, here are my favorite videos this week:



Sinister and dark clip from Scottish band The Twilight Sad.



Ryn Weaver roams through Victorian mansions in this decadent clip.



The gorgeous Lianne La Havas dances alone in this simple, yet effective, clip.



Amazing, interactive video from genre boundary pushing artist Squarepusher.



Britt Daniel of Spoon plays the passive observer to these set pieces in this beautifully shot clip.



Cinematic clip for this sultry Röyksopp track.



Whimsical clip from Fur Voice that recalls the best work of Michel Gondry.

New: Röyksopp & Robyn - "Sayit"

Dark and sinister track from Do It Again, the upcoming collaborative EP from Röyksopp & Robyn.

Jam of the Day: Röyksopp & Robyn - "Do It Again"

Sleek electro-pop collaboration between Röyksopp and Robyn.

Jam of the Day: Royksopp ft. Jamie Irrepressible - "Something In My Heart"

Gorgeous slow-burner from Royksopp.

Album Review: Vitalic - Rave Age

Vitalic
Rave Age
Rating: Meh

In my review of Calvin Harris' latest release one of my complaints was that Harris sticks too close to his signature sound, never going outside very rigid parameters he has set for himself. At least Harris has a signature sound that works for him, and when you hear one of his tracks, it is unmistakably him. With Vitalic, French house producer Pascal Arbez, he has struggled on the opposite front, coming up with a distinctive sound to separate him from the rest of the electronic music masses. His first album OK Cowboy was firmly in check with the latest electro-house trends, while follow up Flashmob stuck to the template but did add some subtle disco elements that gave it a little more personality. Latest release Rave Age still finds Arbez searching for his sound, however, instead of sticking to a familiar template throughout and adding different elements he elects to take an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach, mixing in a variety of styles to limited success. Branching across everything from traditional house to rave, synthpop, electro, dancehall, and even techno, the album never gets in a groove and feels at best calculated and at worst disjointed.

Not that the album is unlistenable or anything, it merely lacks a distinct voice and vision, which ends up being frustrating; especially when Arbez throws down some amazing tracks. First single "No More Sleep" contains some furious drum programming over harsh electro synth stabs that propel it forward at a breakneck pace.



"Stamina" adds a thumping, grinding beat to its electro-trash agenda, as vocal samples are taken to the edge of chaos.



While "March of Skabah" adds an interesting touch of dancehall to his cluttered aesthetic.



In an attempt I guess to add more of a structured pop element to the album, Arbez features several vocal tracks which, based on the output here, is definitely not his strong suit. "Rave Kids Go" is a meandering electro-track with a completely uninvolved vocal.



"Under Your Sun" feels like an unwanted B-side from Royksopp.



"Next I'm Ready" marries a very repetitive riff with an equally repetitive vocal.



While "La Mort Sur Le Dancefloor" attempts to be a French Crystal Castles and shows how effortless Crystal Castles' sound is to them in comparison.



The remaining tracks are pleasant but fairly unmemorable synth pop confections ("Fade Away"), Daft Punk knockoffs ("Lucky Star"), or completely misplaced techno tracks ("The Legend of Kasper Hauser"). Overall, Rave Age never coalesces into something coherent. The disjointed nature of the tracks and the flow keep everything at arms length. Arbez has shown he can put together some great tracks, but this indecision about what he wants to do with his sound ultimately defeats that good will.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Videos of the Week

Finally it's Friday and here are the latest videos that are making me happy or angry:



First official video from the new Blonde Redhead cd Penny Sparkle. The reviews for the cd were decidedly mixed owing to the fact that it is a more electronic sound and much less guitar is utilized. I went into the cd heavily prejudiced against it, and luckily pushed those thoughts aside and fell in love with it. It is dreamy and insular, much like my favorite Bjork cd Vespertine.



Delorean's new cd Subiza started out in my favorites, but somehow has fallen out of favor lately. I still find it enjoyable, but not to the extent I did before. With that said, this is a fine single from the album with a pretty odd video. Killer puppies!



Although their sophomore cd Surfing The Void is a bit of a letdown, first single "Echoes" is a phenomenal blast of gorgeous pop music.



Another video from Blonde Redhead, this one a performance clip of first track on the new cd, "Here Sometimes."



Imaginative clip for new single from Amon Tobin. Creepy, then decidedly sweet.



Haunting clip for the goth chanteuse Zola Jesus. She is opening for The xx on their latest tour. As I have seen them three times this year, I am not going to make it to this one.

Snow And Taxis from Gold Panda on Vimeo.

Gorgeously shot video for new single from Gold Panda.



I couldn't believe that this was an actual commercial until I saw it on television. Completely over the top. Love it!



Pleasant song from Junip made even better from a bat-shit crazy video.



Creepy video from Royksopp for the new single "The Drug." The song is not really much and the entire cd is pretty disappointing.



Almost all electronic single from the new Deerhunter cd. They just sound better and better with each new release.