Review: DatA - Skywriter

French electro has always been a slippery slope that can lead to the deep waters of failure. Well, David Guillon, the actual name behind the moniker DatA, got away with a few broken ribs and a fair warning not to play that "daft" if he's not absolutely sure about the final result. Don't get me wrong "Skywriter", Guillon's debut LP would have been a fine piece of electronica...if it was released somewhere in the 90s. At some points the similarities to Daft Punk are that obvious that it bloody hurts, despite the probable good intentions.

"Skywriter" comes out after Guillon's string of EP's, which gained him the respect and the critical acclaim by both fans and journalists. Despite all the praise DatA never did get out of the shade of French electro dominated right now by Justice and their alike. Probably Guillon is not striving to acutely distinguish himself from the whole scene, but "Skywriter" is an album you can easily do without if you are in fact too much into the French electro wave. Perhaps a few more original ideas and crucial stylistic efforts could have pulled out a few tricks to entertain the eager listener, but after a few listens "Skywriter" turns out to be little less than exciting.

Justice, hailed by critics as the fresher version of Daft Punk, did cause a small revolution in the rather stagnant French electro scene, but the success formula wore off too soon. Used by too many and too often and one time French electro sounded as an extended load of crap on repeat. DatA makes no exception to the rule...sorry, but we are not that stupid to anxiously anticipate yesterday's news. For what's worth "Skywriter" has a few pleasant tunes to keep aside for better times that safe the album from being the next annoying hyped electro album with no actual perks. Nevertheless, it all depends on your current electro status and if it says anything but French then, I guess, you should come back when the thrill is back.

Songs to hear: "One In A Million", "Rapture", "Skywriter" and "Blood Theme"

Rating: 5/10

Review: Rinocerose - Futurino

Rinocerose (correctly spelled as Rinôçérôse) is one of those criminally underestimated bands that have always been an idea away from their worldwide breakthrough. Probably, loyal fans are happy to keep this band secret, just for their very own pleasure. Still, albums like "Futurino", their fifth proper studio release, proves that it's about time they gained some serious attention. The stylistic variety, the intelligent lyrics and the emotionally balanced flow make Rinocerose an exquisite addition to your extended music library, as well as "Futurino" a fresh look on French music.

Although Jean-Philippe Freu and Patrice Carrie, the brains and body behind the moniker, started Rinocerose as an exclusively electronic project it has moved to the more rocky sound that dominates "Futurino". Elements of dance-punk, new-rave, electro-rock and indiepop are introduced throughout the record by their subtle fusion and incorporation. The album stands somewhere between self-explored maturity and the party flow of independence, bouncing back and forth in accordance to the vibe.

Forget about all the possible surprises! "Futurino" is to be enjoyed right here, right now...with company, or on your own...day or night. An excellent detour from all the pop crap that has been terrorizing our TVs these days; a vacation on the French Riviera, sharing a few drinks and laughs in a dimmed club with the company of dance beats, groovy guitars and sleek vocals. What more to ask for?

Songs to hear: "Tomorrow", "Time Machine", "Head Like A Volcano" and "Touch Me"

Rating: 8/10

The pilot single "Time Machine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ_ZbVhUyko

Review: Felix da Housecat - He Was King

Who was king and does this mean he is not alive? Probably the two crucial answers in Felix da Housecat's new album that have no clarity. I guess it's just not my year, especially when it comes to favourite musicians and my dear Felix proves me no wrong. Sadly, we could all easily go without "He Was King" and now that is what I call a bummer, although I am not surprised at all.

Felix had his best years back when the electroclash scene was still vibrant, producing and meaningful. But after it's natural downfall and his dubious return to the house family, the picture got all smothered and some people obviously lost themselves in the vast fields of electronica. "He Was King" is somewhere in between house, electro, electropop and dance, without leaving any impression of being a whole product, but rather a compilation of various works under the electronic shield. I have always thought of Felix as a wise producer knowing "da" real good stuff, but as it seems things change and in this instance not for good. Honestly...I was bored! Yes, "He Was King" was just a few ideas away from absolute boredom and I could almost fall asleep while listening.

No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't come up with any praise and for what's worth this album just doesn't deserve it. Total lack of originality, songs that sound old as my grandma and brutally blunt tunes knocked out the few positive words I was planning to write down, but all went to oblivion as soon as I reached the end of the tracklist. With a few exceptions "He Was King" is a major filler either in your CD collection or on your hard disk. Actually even the exceptions are nothing special, they just sound OK compared to the rest of the material.

Songs to hear: "Machine", "Spank U Very Much" and "Do We Move Your World"

Rating: 5/10

First single:

Review: MSTRKRFT - Fist of God

MSTRKRFT (pronounced Master Craft) is the dance project of Jesse F. Keeler (ex-Death From Above 1979) and Al-P, which came to surface after the official break up of Keeler's previous band. Stylistically the band is somewhere between electro and house, having both vocal and instrumental tracks. MSTRKRFT draw influence from hip-hop, big beat, indietronica and electro-rock, creating a unique combination of dance. I cannot say that "Fist of God" is a long-expected album, but it definitely surprised me. For just a couple of years MSTRKRF have matured and become more of just an experimental electro band.

"Fist of God" may not be the dance album of the years, but it contains plenty of excellent club tracks as well as quality disco sound. I was quite disappointed with their debut "The Looks", which was way too house for me, and I had doubts about the quality of the new material as well. Luckily, MSTRKRFT didn't repeat the same mistake (at least for me) and had outdone themselves. The songs are not annoyingly long and do not exceed the bearable dance length. Of course, the album has a few low points, which is quite normal and the good news is that they are less than half of the tracklist (consisting of 10 songs).

Stylistically the album can be defined as a fusion between electro, hip-hop and house. Most of the collaborations are with rappers, which could be a flaw to some and a big plus to others, but it proves that Keeler and P are still on the search for their music niche.

Songs to hear: "Bounce", "Heartbreaker", "It Ain't Love" and "Word Up"

Personal rating: 6 out of 10