Current 'love 'em or hate 'em' band Hadouken! release their second single Liquid Lives, a smart discourse on the state of our alcohol fuelled nation. Media darlings though they may be, is there any substance behind their 'so hot right now' mix of indie-grime-electro-drum and bass style?
Well that depends on who you ask. Hadouken! are a band who seem to divide opinion between the fans and the critics. London based with a distinctly London sound, this band thrive on grimy beats that situate themselves somewhere between drum and bass, old school computer games, and (don't chastise me for using the term) nu-rave. Where Hadouken! shine though is in the razor sharp vocal delivery that exists in a grey area between rapping and actual singing.
So, championed by NME and Radio 1, can the new single match up to their previous release That Boy, That Girl? Well, but of course! Having been a stern Hadouken! fan ever since I crossed their path a few months ago I am perhaps slightly biased in my opinions. Liquid Lives however, is an astute and funny commentary on the pub/club culture that pushes all the right buttons, managing to remain popularly viable and suitably underground at the same time. The best of Hadouken! though really comes through in some of the remixes, especially of this single, which is released with four different mixes on top of the actual track. If Hadouken! carry on in this vein then stardom surely beckons.
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