How good are Simian Mobile Disco? This good, that's how good. You have to imagine me stretching out my arms as long as they'd go for that sentence to make sense. If we're all being honest, SMD's ever increasing buzziness this year had a lot to do with the release of the Justice remix of 'We Are Your Friends' last year, even though that's arguably not really anything to do with SMD at all. The original of that track, of course, came from James Ford and James Anthony Shaw's former lives as members of a rather fine indie band called Simian, but it was mainly Justice's tinkering that made it into one of the best electro-indie crossover dancefloor stompers of recent years. But, actually, that track was a good stepping stone to take us electro-indie crossover fans from the indie sounds of Simian to the quirky, stripped-down beats-driven bleep-infused sounds of the Mobile Disco. But hurrah for such a stepping stone - because hopefully it has led to a greater number of people discovering SMD, and their debut album 'Attack Decay Sustain Release', which was one of the most exciting electro dancey releases of the year. Of course Ford, in particular, has been keeping his hand in on Planet Indie by putting in producing and remixing work with many a fine indie band, something that may have also helped expand the duo's overall fan base, but it is Ford and Shaw's own album that got me most excited this year. While perhaps not boasting the mainstream appeal of the Justice/Simian track, or some of the indie songs Ford has produced, this album is filled with quality music, with a sound that in some ways harks back to some of UK electro and house music's finest moments of old, but which, at the same time, has a fresh sound all of its own. With the buzz around these guys as producers and remixers and DJs they must already have very full diaries for 2008, but lets hope that doesn't stop them from making more stuff like this. In the meantime, I declare 'Attack Decay Sustain Release' another CMU album of 2007.
http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/albumsoftheyear