12″ EP, Record Label Records, 2009
www.myspace.com/technoirdisco
I have to admit I didn’t know much about Brian E before receiving this record… As far as I know, Record Label records are more specialized on the IDM and experimental genres, releasing records from artists such as Contagious Orgasm, Scorn or Brian English to name a few, so I thought this record was going to fit into one of these styles… So I was quite surprised when I first played the record and found out it was actually an old-school disco/dance album.
Inspired by living legends of electronic music such as Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk as well as by the Italo Disco era, Brian E delivers us an uninterrupted stream of catchy melodies, purring bass lines, and poppy analog synthesizer sounds which were the trademark of the 70’s greater masterpieces of the genre, of whom Brian E is the heir (for example, the record’s first track, “Theme”, sounds a bit like a tribute to “The Chase”, Giorgio Moroder’s planetary hit from the “Midnight Express” original soundtrack). Well, I have to say that this style is not really my cup of tea in the first place, because this kind of sounds are usually too cold and cheap for my taste but this time, I am forced to the conclusion that the tracks are really well composed and produced, and they spread around a really contagious energy.
Another thing worth mentioning is that this LP also includes a surprising electro version of “De Futura”, a song from the French progressive rock band Magma, which proves that Brian E’s influences are more diverse than you may think the first time you hear his music. So, eventually this album is a pretty good suprise, even for those who are not followers of this genre (and I’m one of them).
[7/10]
— Olivier Noel