Allez Allez sprung out of the Belgium new wave scene of the early 80s, centred around the songwriting-production team of Kristian Debusscher and Nicolas Fransolet with American chanteuse Sarah Osbourne supplying feistily-exotic topping. Songs like the tribal-funk vamp of ‘African Queen’ and hot-wired no wave of ‘Allez Allez’ are in the jumpy white-boy funk mode of the time but given extra character through Sarah’s vibrant singing and the production recalling post-punk funk coming from New York, spiced with African flavours and polyrhythms. Detroit techno buffs might also recognise Sarah from her involvement in the Motor City’s emerging techno scene, singing on Carl Craig’s classic ‘As Time Goes By’ and painting the cover for Derrick May’s’ The Beginning’ single. This album presents eight of Allez Allez’s best-known songs, including fun dance chant ‘Wrap Your Legs [Around Your Head]’, which sounds pretty silly bellowed when pissed, plus spaced, startling new remixes from contemporary devotees Quiet Village, Aeroplane, Lindstrom & Prins Thomas and Optimo who effortlessly manage to plant the group in the 21st century space disco. Another worthy project from the mighty Eskimo label.
4 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
