Versatile France At Juno Download

Review: The always debonair Versatile present this Gallic dust up of epic proportions, serving up the first single from the debut album by Aladdin. If you've not checked the LP yet, "The Sun Is On Fire" is a perfect demonstration of the fuzzed out new wave sound that streams throughout. This EP is all about the remixes however, with both I:Cube and Bot'Ox on hand with the former's take on "Mass Confusion" revelatory! We're big fans of I:Cube here but would never have guessed he would deliver the driving, psychedelic, motorik goth disco monster that you just picture Sir Weatherall destroying a Dalston basement with (there's also a digi exclusive instrumental version!) In contrast, Bot'Ox draw on the darker undercurrents of the same track for a rubbery, analogue electro noir refix that builds expertly.

Review: The new I:Cube album is a rapid-fire collection of tracks woven together (there's a clue in that title you know) which takes the manner of a live set. The idea is essentially to bring the dance music album back to its raison d'etre, the dancefloor. To keep things interesting, the tracks are whipped through with a wonderful irreverence, as cheeky radio interludes and impulsive switch-ups keep things from staying too formulaic. Rather than some vision of a smooth, linear DJ set, this album instead takes the stance of creating pleasure through disorientation. Mr Chaix is a master of alluring grooves, and he uses that gift to really mess with your head when he changes tack, as between the edgy bleeps of "Y.O.U.R.O.C.K." and the light-hearted disco stomper "Get The Fever". Those surprise moves keep you engaged through all 23 tracks of this joyous beast. Chaix's lack of pretension is one of his greatest strengths; the I:Cube way is a direct and satisfying one. At no point is it cheesy or hackneyed, but it never tries to be too clever for its own good. With a live feel to match that immediacy, the "M" Megamix is a triumphant statement of what a dance music album should feel like. It might not be a comprehensive answer, but it certainly puts paid to all those "collection of singles" efforts out there.