"Saint Dymphna"
(Warp Records)
eight / ten
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GANG GANG DANCE "Saint Dymphna" (Warp Records)
eight / ten |
Gang Gang dance are one of those bands with one collective Converse Allstar stuck in the past and another planted firmly in the future. The post-punk and art-rock stripes are proudly worn on their sleeves, but rather than conform to these stylistic genres, they successfully knit various other less obvious worldly influences into their work.
Saint Dymphna is their first album for Warp Records, having previously releasing work on the Social Registry label, and let's face it - Warp seldom get it wrong when it comes to finding off-kilter talent. There's no verse/chorus/verse schtick on offer here, but instead you'll find slabs of Middle Eastern and Asian instrumentation and structure saddled beside complex polyrhythmic percussion - a trait which cemented their inclusion on the recent anthropological compilation The Believer.
Drums are the order of the day, and these kids have everything from electronic bleeps to disco beats and oriental treats, often at the same time, but it's never too intrusive on everything else that's swirling around in their noisy playground. There's a wardrobe load of synths layered on top, which could be potentially annoying, but no sound is pushed to excess because another idea blinks their bulbs that swings things off in a different trajectory.
The progression and transitions between tracks are particularly sweet, easing from dreamy to debauchery effortlessly - you could be dancing on tabletops to one track at a drunken party and then plonked on the couch spiralling down a river of psychedelic wonderment the next.
The vocals, although generally used sparingly enough, tended to slightly irk these ears towards the end of the album, like a Karen-O-and-Kate-Bush-walk-into-a-bar story that goes on a bit too long. But this is a minor quibble mentioned by the usually cynical in what's otherwise a killer album.
John Lillis
www.myspace.com/ganggangdance
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