Slightly unnerving French electronica. “Infamously deadpan” female vocals (yes, it says this on their one-sheet) and a dark, unhappy synth belly. Here’s the deal: I am generally suspicious of electronica I don’t want to dance to. Not that this record isn’t beat-driven... but it definitely has an underside. Some tracks are even downright insidious. Industrial & techno elements in here, but this is solid after-hours electro. Spacey, even. Hey, they claim to be 90s kids. Sounds like: DJ Hell. Fischerspooner. Darker New Order. The singles are tracks 2 & 3, but they’re not my picks. Discuss.

This is Miss Kittin’s (Caroline Hervé) second record with The Hacker (Michel Amato). Their first one (called, imaginatively, First Album) was released in 2001. Both are French electroclashers who really like D.A.F. and Cabaret Voltaire. Apparently they met at a rave in Grenoble. Hooray, street cred.

try: 5, 4, 10
no FCCs

1. kicks off with spaceship noise, drums in at 1:08, echo-back vocals & that sound effect that sounds like laser guns firing. solid, repetitive.
2. new wave. high vibey synth, melodic vocals, poppy/boppy single-note chordkeeper bass.
3. computer blips, single-word spoken echo-back vocals. industrial beat. but... why is it PPPO and not PPOP?
*4. are those... bongos? heavy drums, dark & dancey, ominous keys. walks a fine line between moody & groovy.
*5. all-out electroclash. trash-canny percussion, darty synth/bass, techno tempo. gets heavy & fast in a hurry.
6. dampered video game keys. melodic, sad & sweet vocals over disconcertingly discordant synth.
7. this is an elvis presley cover. funky beat, high chord-driven synth, 80s disco vocals.
8. pits flat, tinny digital verses against a lush synth chorus.
9. busy crackle/pop sound. eerie ripple-effect keys. rudder synth/bass. lyrics in french.
*10. deep, dark, ominous, cool. snakey bass, menacing vocals, windswept effects.
11. instrumental reprise of track 2. um... it’s a nice music bed!