James Ford & Jas Shaw used to be the drums, synths & electronics part of psychedelic band Simian, and at the time James & Jas were DJ’ing as Simian Mobile Disco. Sadly the band split, but James & Jas had the bright idea of going in the studio and recording under their DJ moniker, the results just got better & better, leading to allsorts of top production work, including Arctic Monkeys and Klaxons. Those ever on it people at Wichita saw the potential and snapped up SMD, and now the time is perfect to unleash their debut album. ‘Attack Decay Sustain Release’ is easily gonna be the party album of the year. ‘Sleep Deprivation’ blasts us off with a fat fuzzy slab of Detroit influenced techno, before you know it you’ll be transported to a warehouse, to have the time of your life (again). ‘I Got This Down’ feeds on old skool electro elements, body popping rhythms with Yellow Magic Orchestra influenced synths. Next up is the excellent ‘It‚s The Beat’, giving Roxanne Shante and The Real Roxanne a run for their money, and a former Single Of The Week in these pages. ‘Hustler’ is sleazy house at it’s best, layers of pulsing electronics pepper a low slung driving groove, while the Hustler tells fuck you tales of life on the street, but in a sexy way. ‘I Believe’ is a Balearic moment waiting to happen, and ‘Hotdog’ is peaktime gurning on the podium. ‘Attack Decay Sustain Release’ is a stunning debut and restores faith in the acid house spirit. Simian Mobile Disco are definitely one of the outfits I’m gonna be looking out for this festival season.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: DEAN THATCHER
