(Southern Fried)

Did someone say eclectic?

When it comes to making insane, off the wall techno tracks, Italians pretty much have that shit locked down – just think back to Black Box, whose affinity for catchy piano hooks and go-for-broke approach to illegal sampling forever etched the phrase ‘RIIIIIIDE  ON TIME!’ into the public consciousness. Italian DJ and production duo Crookers sound very little like Black Box – they favour fidgety electro, Bmore and hip hop to piano-led house – but their approach is no less eccentric. Tons Of Friends, as the title suggests, comes packed to bursting point with guest stars – Kelis, Will.I.Am, Major Lazer, Miike Snow and Yelle among them. In fact, I counted, and it has more vocalists on it than it has actual tracks to contain them. The synths screech and wheeze and the beats are all over the place, swerving from dinky dance hall rhythms one minute to pounding techno the next, with little space to breathe in between. This combination sounds like it should make for an unholy mess, but in actual fact, Crookers’ debut is pretty great – its appeal comes from the fact that, even after a few listens, you still have no idea what might be coming next. The highlight for me is Hold Up Your Hand, which features Roisin Murphy, but that might just be because it’s the closest thing to a cheesy dance floor banger on the album. Needless to say, I can’t wait to hear what Crookers have to offer when festival season next comes around.

***½

ALASDAIR DUNCAN

Be first to comment on this article

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*