Paris DJ squad makes the world's best ABBA-inspired, heavy-metal jock jams
"No need to ask my name to figure out how cool I am!" sings a guest vocalist on the frenzied debut LP from this electronic-disco duo, whose name is pronounced zhust-EECE. Backed by Ed Banger, France's hipster-hedonist It label, Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé employ everything from ominous Christian iconography to slick future sounds to prop up their aura of over-arching coolness: Sonically, they like to spike Chic-on-speed funk with monstrous, distorted synths that pulverize as much as they propel. Crucially, though, Justice's hard-partying robo-crunch is laced with a willful silliness: "Waters of Nazareth" is Fatboy Slim sent through a trash compactor, while a children's choir delivers cheerleader chirps on "D.A.N.C.E." Nothing is too anthemic for them, nothing too dumb: Think Andrew W.K. with a Gauloise dangling from his mouth, just so."
ABBA-inspired, heavy metal jock jams??? I read that review and walked (I would actually describe it as giddy scurrying!) straight off the plane to the HMV store at Heathrow (right after having my scrotum frisked in security and getting re-ticketed on the later flight to Basel, of course), found the CD on the rack against the wall, grabbed it with my well-moisturized-from-the-flight hands, and stared at it lovingly. Then, the anti-impulse devil appeared on my left shoulder and advised me to "...listen to it first." I put the CD down, tore the review out of the Blender magazine, and stuffed the review into my shirt pocket so that I could do a little investigative work. Besides the CD was something like nine pounds at Heathrow, and I figured I could get it cheaper at iTunes.
So, after getting settled in at home, I checked out a couple of their tunes at iTunes, and I'm happy to report that...
THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps I'm just getting out of touch with what the kids are digging these days, but it was (in my middle-aged opinion) the most annoying electronica-disco-bullshit I've heard in a long, LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNG time! I have to admit that I'm not the biggest electronica fan, but I just couldn't listen to it. Maybe the rest of the CD is better, but I'm not willing - at least this time - to subject myself to any more of zhust-EECE! I even played it for Mrs. TBF, and she was like, WTF???
Check 'em out for yourselves on their myspace page.
2 comments:
A whole new level of suck.
I saw them in concert at a club while I was in Montréal. I am sad to report that the best part was when they were finally finished and played Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now". That song rocks. Justice do not.
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