Going through my list of reviews I’ve done, I realise that this is the 40th disk I’ve been asked to comment on. Let’s see if this is a landmark worth remembering…
The opening tune is the jazzy “Rosemary Brown’s Ghost”. A simple piano riff with the feel of a 50s noir thriller is the stylish backdrop with a sinister psychedelic wash added for colour. But this is a misleading start to a CD which is a mixed bag of mainly electronica, from instrumental weirdness to catchy electro pop.
There is plenty of variety between the tracks too. From the chilled acoustic guitar and Hammond Organ on “Generation Admin” to the queasy sci-fi horror reggae (yes, you read that right!) and off-key Japanese vocal of “Square Moon”. Elsewhere, the stripped back arrangement and harsh saw-tooth keyboard sound gives the cover of EMFs “Unbelievable” a feel which wouldn’t have been on Daft Punk’s Tron soundtrack.
While most of the tunes are built on straightforward repeating riffs, Kid Chocolat keeps things interesting by adding subtle movement underneath the main instruments, whereas a lesser musician would make the music dull and lifeless. The mix is polished and clean, if a little clinical and I could imagine sterile lab technicians in their paper suits creating this disk as some sort of strange experiment. It’s not completely cold, however, with the use of guest vocalists adding the touch of humanity to the CD. Even in its oddest moments, I can’t say there was a bad track in the collection but, with 12 to choose from, if one track doesn’t suit you, the next one is just around the corner.
I was going to open this review with a joke about Chocolat being bad for a 'Bunny but there’s plenty on this CD for those without a sweet tooth.