View Full Version : Dance Album of the Year? Isolee - We Are Monster
Remember the good old days of fantastic dance albums like Orbital's 'Brown Album' and Underworld's 'Dubnobasswithmyheadman'? Well I picked Isolee's 'We Are Monster' up about a month ago and it's barely left my hi-fi stereo yet, and is definitely cut from the same cloth. Throw in the pure simplicity of Kraftwerk's melodies, the sleek shimmering pulses of Giorgio Moroder, and warm analogue ripples of Boards of Canada and you've got a near-perfect combo. However, this is no retro fest, the beats keep this sounding contemporary and dancefloor friendly, without ever losing the plot.
Excellent stuff.
Johnny Vodka
23-08-2005, 08:07
The Isolee album ain't bad, although my favourite dance album of year, in fact favourite album of the year, has to be Push the Button. :thumbs:
The Isolee album ain't bad, although my favourite dance album of year, in fact favourite album of the year, has to be Push the Button. :thumbs:
I thought that 'Push The Button' was a bit of a return to form after the god-awful 'Come With Us', but still the quality control tends to be a shakey for me, couple of bad tracks that let it down. Still it ain't as bad as the over-hyped Vitalic album which is just a bit well, er, samey for me.
Remember the good old days of fantastic dance albums like Orbital's 'Brown Album' and Underworld's 'Dubnobasswithmyheadman'? Well I picked Isolee's 'We Are Monster' up about a month ago and it's barely left my hi-fi stereo yet, and is definitely cut from the same cloth. Throw in the pure simplicity of Kraftwerk's melodies, the sleek shimmering pulses of Giorgio Moroder, and warm analogue ripples of Boards of Canada and you've got a near-perfect combo. However, this is no retro fest, the beats keep this sounding contemporary and dancefloor friendly, without ever losing the plot.
Excellent stuff.
I've never heard of that album or even the group but your review lists most of my favourite bands so am quite tempted to go for a blind buy!! Do you offer a money-back guarantee?? ;)
I've never heard of that album or even the group but your review lists most of my favourite bands so am quite tempted to go for a blind buy!! Do you offer a money-back guarantee?? ;)
Don't take my word for it (a sound a bit like Barry Scott there), here's a review from Playlouder.com:
"The first album since 2000 from Rajko Müller, aka Isolée, starts with a squelchy tickle of bass and a resounding slap of drums, and just keeps on harassing you from thereon in. By the second track, the supremely silly, cute 'Schrapnell', you're lost in a toasty hug and smothered with summery kisses – albeit a little embarrassed by those slightly over-emotional drum fills.
The excellent Playhouse label plays host to a number of hyperkinetic dancemeisters, but none so saucy or affectionate-sounding as Herr Müller here, who takes the micro-house template and colours it in all messy and sparkly in felt-tip pens, then cuts it into a heart shape and sticks it to your door and runs away giggling. Certainly, Isolée's range of sound sources is recognisable, Pavlovian even, each designed to hit one of a myriad spots in a uniquely pleasurable way.
But while it's true that tracks like 'Mädchen Mit Hase' blip, tumble and parp along so very efficiently you almost forget they're there, and others such as 'Jelly Baby/Fish' contain their fair share of cheesy moments, that's not the same as being predictable. Take the album's centrepiece, 'My Hi-Matic'. It's based around a most straightforward, satisfying chord sequence, grounded with an old-style acid bassline and garnished with a wistful, slightly detuned melody – an accomplished a piece of retro-futurist whimsy as anyone could want. But wait: what's up with those weird interspersions of slap bass and guitar? What's that scrape of girders in the background? And those wistful house strings that I can only just hear, faltering somewhere distant?
Then on closing track, 'Pillow Talk', the porno pulse fragments and morphs gently into a weird kind of sonic loneliness and confusion, amid a sea of smooth-talking beats and sustained chords: the end result is delightfully empty and confused, despite its promise of fulfilled lust. See, what Isolée really excels at is dynamics and arrangement, in knowing when to hit you and when to hold back. He's essentially a songwriter, without pandering to any of the formal signifiers of the song. And he's as adept at evoking visions of factories falling in love, ruined power stations strewn with flowers and empty, shiny autobahns as he is at provoking flirtatious dance moves.
His best music has a kind of timbral vulnerability about it that makes you want to reach out and kiss his computer better. When you've stopped snogging it, that is."
Ok sold. I'll order one. :thumbs:
(I love taking a gamble on music every now and then. Hardly ever been wrong too)
Johnny Vodka
01-02-2006, 19:05
Isolee has a collection of previous 12"s (entitled "Western Store") coming out very soon. Wasn't *that* impressed by "We Are Monster", but am loving this after a couple of listens.
LouBarlow
01-02-2006, 19:29
The Vitalic album is one of the best I've heard in yonks
gjkendall
01-02-2006, 20:02
Just got both Isolee albums :suspect: , put them on the Sony mp3 player, and look forward to listening to them on the way in to work in the morning!
Cheers for the recommendation!
What other "dance" music would people recommend?
Johnny Vodka
01-02-2006, 20:02
Maybe need to check out this Vitalic album then, Lou. Have liked what I've heard of them on various compilations...
Back to this new isolee album - the opening tracks, Bleu and Initiate II (rightly described as New Order-ish), are sublime. Seems a bit more 'dance' than "We Are Monster". By coincidence, both of these tunes (think it was them) appeared on The Blue Room at the weekend, so if you want to hear them you can still stream those shows...
Johnny Vodka
01-02-2006, 20:08
What other "dance" music would people recommend?
The new Layo & Bushwacka! single, Life2Live, is excellent (looking forward to the album), as is The Knife's Silent Shout (now available as a download - check links from their site).
Just got both Isolee albums :suspect: , put them on the Sony mp3 player, and look forward to listening to them on the way in to work in the morning!
Cheers for the recommendation!
What other "dance" music would people recommend?
Check out Pendulum - Hold Your Colour. Drum and Bass but don't let that put you off, it's not chav in the slightest.
gjkendall
02-02-2006, 06:28
Sorry to report...I thought We are monster was rubbish (on first listen that is). I'll give it another go on the way home!
If you like the more laid back, funky & soulful grooves then I'd suggest you track down, The Reel People - Second Guess.
It's a couple of years old but Defected are re-releasing it this month with a bonus remix cd due to them taking a big liking to a few of their tracks.
A lot of people compare them to Brand New Heavies, but personally they are way better than BNH ever were.
Another vote for the Pendulum album here as well, it is very good.
Johnny Vodka
04-02-2006, 14:03
The new Layo and Bushwacka! album popped through my door this morning, so hopefully have a report on that soon. :)
Johnny Vodka
05-02-2006, 09:40
Howdy campers, what about the new Tiga album? Seems to be picking up some good reviews and on reflection I quite like some of his stuff... Anyone heard it?
Superstar P.J.
05-02-2006, 11:49
The Vitalic album is excellent. His live show is great too. As for Tiga his new album is amazing! Had mixed thoughts at first but it's been constantly growing on me so I'm now digging the tracks that I wasn't too keen on at first. Best tracks apart from the singles (You gonna want me, Pleasure from the Bass and Louder Than a Bomb) are Far From Home, 3 Weeks and Brothers. Been enjoying SirSirSir a lor recently too. Comes out officially on monday so I recommend people pick it up!
Oh and as for Defected I recently got Dimitri from Paris's compilation In The House of Love which is a great disco house compilation.
One more recommendation (god I buy too much music!) is the Nite Versions album by Soulwax which contains dance reworkings of the songs off Any Minute Now.
gjkendall
05-02-2006, 12:25
I totally agree about the Nite Versions cd...best dance album I have heard in a while!
EDIT: Just finished listening to Pendulum...the first couple of tracks are good...but on the whole it is too drum and bass (do you know what I mean?) I realise they are d&b, but the same9ish) beat through all the tracks just did my head in! :nuts:
Not sure what to try and get now...may go for Vitalic...but after the recommendations on this thread disappointing me so far, I am not sure!
gjkendall
13-02-2006, 09:44
I can recommend The Rogue Element : Rogue Rock! :clap:
Dogs doodaahs!
davey1970
13-02-2006, 12:43
had never heard of Isolee but will be checking it out asap!
ta
Deltatri3
13-02-2006, 12:45
Vitalc are excellent, but TIGA's new album sexor is destined to hit mylo in terms of popularity if word gets around enough.
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