Review

A history lesson. Around 1997, a scene was rampant across British music, called ‘big beat’. The nineties equivalent of nu-rave, big beat mashed dance music and guitars and, like nu-rave had it’s own massive club nights, dodgy fashion sense and trendy record labels. The kings of big beat were a band called the Lo Fidelity Allstars. They headlined the dance stage at Glasto, hit the cover of the NME and gave America a decent crack, before the whole big beat thing went tits up and became deeply uncool, leaving the Lo-Fi’s bitter and confused, stumbling among the debris wondering were it all went wrong.

Fuck it though, a band is for life, not just for Christmas. And the Lo-fi’s were some band. Their debut ‘How To Operate With A Blown Mind’ still leaves you breathless – a filthy, rasping collection of funk-punk dancefloor destruction, among a handful of strangely beautiful, reflective moments. In short – it could wreck your head. The follow up, ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of Love’, came way too late for anyone to care. Which is a desperate shame frankly – it was somehow an even better album – boasting collaborations with Greg Dulli and even Jamie Lidell, long before he was cool. Honestly, everyone needs to own both these albums. They are, in parts, absolutely astonishing and properly unique. Klaxons – their modern day equivalent, are laughably dull in comparison. In fact, when it comes to mixing dance and guitars, no one has come even close to recreating the genius of those two albums. So yes. Be good to yourself and buy this album.

(I suppose, in the interest of balance, it should be pointed out that a ‘best of’ after two albums, the second of which is six years old is almost entirely pointless. This compilation also reeks of ‘contractual obligation’ and the one ‘new’ track is dung. But don’t be worrying about that. *Coughs*)

words_Rigsy

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DOWNLOAD: ‘Battleflag’, ‘Somebody Needs You’
FOR FANS OF: Klaxons, Chemical Brothers

Posted on: 27th January 2010

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