track listing :
i’ll sing like billy mackenzie in heaven (featuring del marquis)
water drops on burning rocks (featuring sarah nixey)
his n’ hers hibernation (featuring kylie minimoog)
i’ll sing like billy mackenzie in heaven (astrolabe remix)
his n’ hers hibernation (kid whatever’s bear affair)
water drops on burning rocks (nine devices remix)
new digital-only ep from the excellent microfilm duo.
since (though i must hasten to add, not because) i posted about them last year regarding their sublime album, the slingshot orchestra, the band have been picking up love as there are special guests featured throughout the new material.
on the opening track in which they declare their kinship with one of the icons of 80s pop, billy mackenzie, scissor sister del marquis joins in on the post party groove.
thankfully the team up avoids any attempts at glamming up the bands trademark electro-pop, meaning the production maintains the microfilm mark of understated melancholy style and melody.
as before, the vocals are phased and treated (note : billys vocal excesses are not replicated), the synths do their juddering thing, and space is utilised in ways that most of the 09’rs have yet to figure out.
excellent indeed.
then for the second track, water drops on burning rocks, the queen of sensual electro pop herself, sarah nixey drops into the sparse rhythmic production at the same time as a delicious acid squiggle adds focus to the proceedings, resulting in a rather wonderful mix of sonic tension and drama (did i really hear the phrase ‘it’s ruining my shirt’ ?).
next up on the guest list is the brilliantly named kylie minimoog who adds more electro-disco glitter to the big beats of his n’ hers hibernation.
to finish off the eps are three remixes, one for each track.
subsequently, we get old school piano-house styled riffs, hands in the air euro-dance, and appropriately enough, stripped back twisted beats-n-blips.
all of which makes for a rather fine package, and one that will please anyone who remembers when pop duos (one singer + one boffin hunched over a keyboard) ruled the world.
more detail : here