Where to start with Boys Noize? He's released music on the hyper cool Kitsune, set up his own label, signing such talent as Strip Steve, released his own acclaimed 'Bugged Out!' mix and collaborated with DJ deity Erol Alkan. Add to that his sensational debut, which rubbed every one of Ed Banger's coke-smeared faces in the dirt, you could tentatively call Alex Ridha the best new talent in dance. He returns this year as the defending champion, but can he keep his throne? Aware that subtlety isn't exactly his game, this follow up to 'Oi Oi Oi' is aptly named. Opener 'Gax' immediately showcases how Ridha has progressed. Hazy synth injections underpin a riff like a malfunctioning fairground attraction. It's a joyous new sound, a new statement of ferocious intent, and it will knock you sideways - talk about promising starts. But then comes the retreat. Where Ridha gasped a breath of fresh air with 'Gax', in subsequent tracks he cowers back to the comfort of his grinding bass. This would still be all fine and well if the songs actually went anywhere. The worst example of this is 'Nerve', a one-note musing which chooses safety over any change whatsoever. 'Trooper' is pretty much just drums. For six minutes. Respite only comes in closer 'Heart Attack', which features the same eighties, nostalgic beauty that Ridha often hints at. The frustration of this record is that a great talent lies locked away in small, nervous passages. It's time for Boys Noize to beef up and release the dancefloor masterpiece he's more than capable of. GB
Oct 2, 2009
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1 min read
Album review: Boys Noize – Power (Boysnoize Records)
Boys Noize's follow-up to 'Oi Oi Oi' opens with a promising track but, the reviewer argues, too often retreats into safe, under-developed passages.