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This is the second collaboration
between Ultravox man John Foxx and
Louis Gordon, and the staring eye of the cover
is something of a guide to what lies ahead.
Foxx and
Gordon have cultivated an electro sound with its roots
firmly in the '80s synth-pop of Depeche Mode
and The Human League, with Foxx's deadpan
delivery often reminiscent of the Sisters Of
Mercy's Andrew Eldritch - a far more sinister
comparison.
The album reminds me of forays
into 'dance' music by people such as Gary Moore and
Jeff Beck in its slightly clumsy treatment of rhythm.
Foxx fares well though, as his predominant subject
matter is technology in the forms of transport, random
access memory and infrared to name a few examples. The
stark titles - Crash And Burn, Sex Video, She Robot,
Ray 1 / Ray 2 - hint at a darkness that pervades each
song. In the David Lynch-esque Cinema this is most
effective, a swing beat uneasily cast against Foxx's
edgy "let's go out tonight" vocal.
Meanwhile Dust And
Light is a highly charged electro track with a
memorable riff and distinctive vocal colours. Some
songs are more obviously updated for the present day,
dressed in four to the floor house beats that can be
curiously undanceable - an example being the opener
Drive, a cousin to the Mode's Behind The Wheel, or the
android tones of Ultraviolet / Infrared, where Foxx's
dark lyrics return to haunt him. Surprisingly things
lighten up for the last two numbers, the jaunty Ray 1
/ Ray 2 and the softer beats of the epilogue.
With dance music on the back of
an 'Electroclash' craze thanks to labels such as City
Rockers and acts such as Fischerspooner, Crash And
Burn could well find a place in this section of a
record collection.
As a picture of early 21st century
life it is openly realistic, hinting at a progression
to a Blade Runner society of replicants. This may put
off those of you who subscribe to a brighter outlook,
but if you like a bit of darkness and know a thing or
two about Ultravox, go and satisfy your curiosity.
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