Topical Dancer

Thumping late-night electronica with some serious social commentary. Stylish and dancefloor-ready tracks with confrontational and rebellious lyrics that target xenophobia, cultural appropriation, racism, toxic masculinity, and body negativity. Wry and clever, and sung in both English and French. Co-written and co-produced by electropop OGs Soulwax. An overall fascinating release from an exciting and new Belgium-based duo.

All tracks FCC Clean
RIYL: Ibibio Sound Machine, Kelly Lee Owens, LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax
TRY: 3, 2, 8, 10, 5, 12

(1.) (0:42) Short intro. Collage of voicemails
*(2.) (3:34) Growling bassline, chill house beat with silky-sung lyrics tackling racism and xenophobia
*(3.) (3:31) Catchy gyrating beat confronting discrimination in the modern age: “go back to your country where you belong / Siri can you tell me where I belong?”
(4.) (3:36) Electro/synthpop beat with standout vocals
*(5.) (5:33) Hard-hitting industrial beat. Diary entry narrative describing sexual maturity and confronting being catcalled as a young teenager
(6.) (4:17) Slick electro beat with French vocals
(7.) (5:06) Repetitive silky vocals about reappropriation over a dreamy slow-building cloud-rap beat. Great backup vocals
*(8.) (3:46) Stripped-down electro funk love song. Built around a looped groovy bassline with some catchy disco elements
(9.) (2:56) Shadowy, brooding beat with French vocals
*(10.) (4:21) Body-positive abstract dancefloor banger
(11.) (4:00) 80’s synthpop with manipulated vocal samples. Lots of cool art rock elements/references (the song’s title is a nod to the Talking Heads project)
*(12.) (3:26) Deep resonating beat built around manipulated laughter samples. Super cool
(13.) (5:51) Killer acid house dancefloor shuffler