Kitsune Maison Compilation 5 by various
Kitsune Maison Compilation 5
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Friday, 01, Feb 2008 01:40
Kitsune, out February 4th.
In a nutshell.
All the bands who you'll be listening to in six month's time
What's it all about?
Kitsune Maison is probably one of the trendiest record labels around at the moment. Let's look at the evidence.
a) It was started by some French men. They probably have moustaches and tight shirts.
b) It releases the sort of electro sleaze that people love
c) Some Kitsune DJs used to play at Boombox, literally the most fashionable club night in London in 2007
Some people who have been signed to the imprint include Bloc Party, Chrystal Castles, Hadouken!, Hot Chip, Klaxons, Rex The Dog, the Teenagers and Zongamin. See, super fashionable.
Periodically, the label has put out unmixed compilations which usually end up containing songs and artists that become popular some time later. As an example, Kitsune 1 had songs by Digitalism, Tom Vek and VHS or Beta on it.
Now the boys are back with their fifth compilation ready to soundtrack clubs for the next three months.
Who's it by?
Obviously, there are 17 different bands on the record - it's a sampler, durrh. They range from pint-sized British post nu-rave favs Late of the Pier to grizzled electroclash veterans Fisherspooner.
Basically, unless your name is Mr I-Read-Vice-and-SuperSuper-Everyday-in-my-Skinny-Red-Jeans you won't have heard of about half of the bands on the record. But then that's the point of a sampler isn't it?
As an example.
"It was so nice to meet you. The pleasure was all mine I think you're great/ Come to Cancun for spring break. I'll think about it, it could be great." - the Teenagers on Homecoming (Gentlemen Drivers remix)
What the others say
"Luckily music isn't fussy about its listeners, otherwise no one would be cool enough to own this record." Sophie Morgan on krugermagazine.com.
So is it any good?
There are some great songs here. Actually scrub that, most of the tracks on the record are really, really good.
Maybe the Fisherspooner one is a bit camp and sounds too much like a Shoreditch bar in 2001 to be cool any more, but it's the duffest track on here and it's still pretty damn OK.
Elsewhere, songs by Late of the Pier and the Teenagers sound so good you worry the Jo Whiley will decide she likes them and rape them until there's nothing left but a bloated corpse of a track that used to be fun.
In the context of the album, which incidentally is very well paced for an unmixed compilation, a band whose name has always made me shiver in disgust sound wicked. Yep, I'm officially a convert to Does It Offend You Yeah? You were right all along Vice.
Elsewhere, tracks from Rex the Dog, a new CSS remix and Friendly Fire all make you want to go out and buy the band's records. There's even the Kitsune-obligatory Digitalism remix - this time from the German lads themselves. Talking of harder stuff, the song Aerius Light by DATA has the sort of tough bassline and throbbing rave vibe that should mean it gets played a lot by people who were very happy that Justice were popular last year.
It might not be as rounded as the Kitsune Boombox mix, which after all did have that Fiest remix on it and a song by Chromeo, but Kitsune 5 is still a great investment if you want to have your finger on the pulse in the first months of 2008.
7/10
James Cooper
"Well I definitely agree, although what's wrong with a camp bar in shoreditch?!?!? M.I.A highlight for me, i mean, yeah wow." - Justin Gott