- Hot on the heels of the recent are-they-or-aren't-they "live" controversy, Ed Banger's own superstars Justice have released a tour documentary, A Cross the Universe, which is accompanied (somewhat) ironically by Live in San Francisco—an album that encapsulates the madness of the Justice concert experience. Whether they do it live or not—and no matter what qualms you might have had about them when their first studio album was released last year (I know I had mine)—it is clear that in terms of perfectly replicating the crowd-devastating, ultra-compressed, Garage Band-induced aural carnage of the Justice live happening, this CD is la shit, bébé, and resistance to it is pretty much futile.
At this point, the debate about pre-recorded sequences and so-called "authenticity" of performance seems quite pointless: Vocals from Uffie ("Tthhee Ppaarrttyy") or Simian ("We Are Your Friends"), for instance, are treated like convenient samples during the show, just like the various bits taken from Goblin, Franz Ferdinand, Klaxons, Soulwax, Ministry or Metallica. Pop music nowadays is less about origins and originality than it is about execution and experience, principles Gaspard and Xavier appear to have mastered to devastating effect. The disappearance of any actual singing presence on stage—coupled with the fact Justice themselves are literally drowning to the point of invisibility under (probably) useless equipment—only serve to enhance the very physicality of their live interpretations. Headbanging, in others words, is aptly justified here, considering how the listeners are the songs' real stars.
In the end, you don't need a PhD in semiology to decipher how the iconic stacking of Marshall amps surrounding a glowing cross on stage fittingly embodies the Parisians' perfectly formed rationale. The glorious "Let There Be Lite," their brutal version of "NY Excuse," and the grandiose "Master of Puppets"-sampling "Final" are songs of faith and devotion that transcend generic barriers, just like all perennial pop music does. Oh, and the way screams from the audience are intertwined with their especially dramatic rendition of "Stress" is proof enough of the in-sync authenticity of the entire experience.
After listening to Justice's Live in San Francisco, going back to your daily, everyday routine will feel a little more mundane and ordinary than usual—whether the duo played the music live or not. In these cynical, post-post-post-post-modern jaded times of ours, this is a small achievement in itself.
Tracklist 01. Intro
02. Genesis
03. Phantom Part I
04. Phantom Part I.5
05. D.A.N.C.E. Part I
06. D.A.N.C.E. Part II
07. DVNO
08. Waters Of Nazareth (Prelude)
09. Two Minutes To Midnight
10. Tthhe Ppaarrttyy
11. Let There Be Lite
12. Stress
13. We Are Your Friends (Reprise)
14. Waters Of Nazareth
15. Phantom Part II
16. Encore
17. NY Excuse
18. Final