- With a name like Bang Gang 12 Inches, it was obvious right from the start that this Modular-affiliated label would be dedicated to the more hedonistic side of the Aussie electro scene. And so it is: A Radicool Compilation is a chronicle of the first three years of the sub-label, in which many of the artists are struggling to find their own voice, but nonetheless offer enough lightheartedly loveable moments to justify the admission price.
The label's very first release was a Daft Punk cover, and most of the artists here are heavily indebted to Discovery-era tricks and tics and the Ed Banger crew that followed in its wake. Bag Raiders' "Turbo Love" for example—from its title down to its use of vocoder and sampled strings—seems happy to be ape the French masters. Hey Today's "If I Was a Wonderwoman" sounds like the distant cousin of Justice's "D.A.N.C.E.," while G.L.O.V.E.S.'s "PYX," Knightlife's remix of Like Woah's "Oh I Like" and Bag Raiders' "Nil by Mouth" are even more shameless in their reverence to Justice. ZZZ's "Lion" and Whitenoise's "Harlequin," on the other hand, have all the syncopation and the grinding power of a SebastiAn production. This is all forceful stuff for sure, but you do have to question the very originality of the entire enterprise at some point.
Bang Gang 12 Inches' most satisfying cuts are the ones on which a track's overtly melodic side is pushed to the forefront and flashy effects at the back. Take "Shooting Stars" by Bag Raiders: It's built around a nagging yet catchy high-pitched synthetic strain and a fervent chorus from the Ted & Francis guys, and it's probably the catchiest thing on here. (In fact, it's so addictive it's currently used in an ad to sell burgers on North American television.) Then you have the piano-led Flight Facilities remix of The Lowbrows' "Dream in the Desert," a track already championed by the likes of Aeroplane in their DJ sets, which is slightly slower in tempo and more welcoming in terms of mood. Their "Melody & Shudder" cut also displays a playful sense of, er, melody, something that can also be said for the serene Ted & Francis' remix of Like Woah's "I'm Looking at You."
Finally, the imprint's two trends perfectly come together on Kim's "By the Time That They Reach You," a cut both incendiary and federative that showcases exotic percussion and shout-y lyrics. The fact it doesn't sound like anything else on this two CD set is proof that distinctiveness and a daring move away from the obvious is the way to go for this young but promising imprint.
Lista de títulosCD 1 (Unmixed)
01. Shazam – Hello Cat
02. Golden Bug – Assasin
03. Hey Today! – If I was Wonderman (Radio Edit)
04. Damn Arms – Destination Pt 1 (Radio Edit)
05. Shazam – Pool Party 2009
06. G.L.O.V.E.S - PYX
07. ZZZ – Lion
08. Cassian – Final Round
09. The Deathset – On The Street (Bumblebeez Remix)
10. Lost Valentinos – The Bismarck
11. Whitenoise – Harlequin
12. Prince Umberto & Jono Ma – Do The Foxtrot
13. ZZZ – DeDeDe
14. Lowbrows – Melody & Shudder
15. Toecutter – Best Party Ever (Jono Ma Remix)
16. Like Woah! – I’m Looking At You (Ted & Francis Remix)
17. Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars
CD 2 (Mixed)
01. Bag Raiders - Turbo Love (Flight Facilities Business Class Lounge Remix)
02. Bag Raiders - Turbo Love (Light Year Remix)
03. Golden Bug - Ghost Day
04. Shazam - Pool Party (Headman’s Revlover Remix)
05. Cassian - Friday Night
06. G.L.O.V.E.S - PYX (Strip Steve Remix)
07. Toecutter - Best Party Ever (Shazam Remix)
08. Bag Raiders - Nil by Mouth
09. Nicky Vanshe & Dangerous Dan - Around the World (Brainzar Edit)
10. Damn Arms - Destination (Der Die Das Remix)
11. Light Year - Night/Vision
12. Hey Today! - Wonderman
13. ZZZ - Lion (Breakbot Remix)
14. Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars (Siruismo Remix)
15. Lowbrows - Melody And Shudder (Daniel Haaksman Remix)
16. Like Woah! - Oh I lIke (Knightlife Remix)
17. Death Set - Listen To This Collision (G.L.O.V.E.S Remix)
18. Soft Tigers - Mr Ice Cream (Knife Machine Remix)
19. KIM - BTTTTRY
20. Doom and Hoodrat - The Concubinus
21. Polargeist - Home from the Can
22. Hystereo - Cityspeak
23. Shazam - Luckier (Hey Today! Remix)
24. Like Woah! - Girls Sing
25. Lost Valentinos - The Bismarck (Golden Bug Remix)
26. Lowbrows - Dream in The Desert (Flight Facilities Remix)