Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure (Wichita)

As not to say this album isn't a daring step towards the forefront of British dance music, Simian Mobile Disco are without a beat of a doubt heading for the top. Temporary Pleasure is introduced by gradual layered and staggered electronic pulses enhanced by the bright vocals of none other than Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys.

With thanks to James Ford and Jas Shaw's production and remix abilities, not only would they have been able to produce a hugely diverse and coherent album – on both technical, imaginative and professional wavelengths – but they would not have secured the many featuring artists that enable them to fulfil their musical endeavours.

Doing away with their previous and somewhat risqué sounding barrage of tracks on debut studio album Attack Decay Sustain Release, SMD have managed to incorporate simplistic hooks in 'Off The Map' that even Kraftwork would be proud of, alongside the poppier flavours of Beth Ditto during 'Cruel Intentions'.

Pop doesn't necessarily equal commercial though – sounding ever so peculiar in the minimalistic and psychadelic in 'Synthesize', the duo's refusal to diverge from their roots and commit to their signature sound should be saluted. 'Audacity Of Huge', featuring Chris Keating from Yeasayer says it all. Edgy, funky, danceable, powerful, and a definite club tune; basically, it's everything SMD put into their work in one compact burst of sexual electro noise.

The ultimate musical muscle behind this album is indeed its ability to switch so recklessly between styles of dance and boldly infuse these with other genres. It is hard to pin point whether this should be recognised as a righteous show of talent or as a rather inconsistent bunch of confused higgledy piggly.

The track listing is also something of a mystery: putting largely hip-hop rooted 'Turn Up The Dial' before the twisted and blissfully intense 'Ambulance' seems like an odd choice. In fact, along with 'Audacity Of Huge', the tracks without featuring artists project the most promising beats and grooves. They should be proud of their own studio work - it would certainly be interesting to see how their solo style develops in their next offereing.

Constantly branded as a production/remix duo, SMD prove with this that they are so much more: collaborators, musicians, songwriters, performers and above all a seriously ingenious dance force not to be reckoned with.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Artist: Simian Mobile Disco Title: Attack Decay.. Released: 11/09/2007 Buy Now \| View Details	Artist: Simian Mobile Disco Title: Attack Decay.. Released: 18/09/2007 Buy Now \| View Details

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http://www.simianmobiledisco.co.uk/

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Published: 20/08/2009 at 02:40
Author: Clare Halls
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