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Album Reviews
Album Review: Marmaduke Duke – Duke Pandemonium (14th Floor Records)
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 4 May 2009
Ah, the concept album. Done well, it can work out marvellously, providing an alternative creative pool for artists to swim in outside of the musical constraints of their original project’s mission statement. Then again, it can as often result in utter shambles. Whatever the reason for it, straying into conceptual territory, be it lyrically or melodically, it’s always a brave move. Marmaduke Duke invite you to take a surreal step into their fantastical shrouded and masked world, where the combination of the glad rags of 16th century gentry and hip-shaking disco funk is perfectly customary. This is a second chance for those who missed out on their mammoth 18 track debut ‘The Magnificent Duke’ to become acquainted with the stately Scottish duo. ‘Duke Pandemonium’ is the second release of a proposed ‘mythological musical triptych’ by the alter egos of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and fellow Ayrshire alt-rock local hero, Sucioperro’s JP Reid. In this guise, they prefer the monikers of The Atmosphere and The Dragon respectively, and collectively, their plan is to recount the tales of the hedonistic Duke’s big night out. Luckily in the midst of all of these extracurricular diversions, the great tunes have not been sacrificed. ‘Duke Pandemonium’ is a seriously eclectic party album, amalgamating the lo-fi electro minimalism of ‘Kid Gloves’, the urgent drum n bass fuelled deviance of ‘Music Box’, the tropical steel drums of ‘Skin The Mofo’ and the Radio 1-friendly straight-up, gloriously infectious pop of ‘Rubber Lover’. The Duke requests your company for dancing, and you know it’s considered ever so rude to refuse. MB
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