X-Dream

We Interface

Gravity Plus (Germany) / Solstice (Japan)

Strewth. Okay, let me rephrase that: Christ on a Sedgeway. Or, to rephrase again: Shiva H. Vishnu on a tractor, eating Nachos and whistling polly-wolly-doodle, waving his hands in the air (and wavin ‘em like he just don’t cay-yerr). This is a bit good. It’s been on heavy rotation here since it arrived, and for two reasons: one, because it’s very very good and two, to see if there’s a kind of half-life to it; will overkill kick in? Well, it certainly hasn’t yet, and this has to be one of the freshest, most kickin, most surprising albums of 2004. X-Dream alienated a lot of fans with 2002’s awkward Irritant; and while We Interface has some sonic similarities, to say that the sound’s are the same just isn’t true. The shift that’s happened here is a little like Wizzy Noise in their wonderful changeover from Cyclotron to Electro Theater; where they found their groove, rooted to the floor, baggy and defiant. X-Dream too have become more organic, more rooted: there’s less of the caustic, more of the melodic. It’s become party music again, but party music that retains its bladerunner, future-far-from-perfect vibe to give it that nice edge. I do suggest, however, that you check it before you buy. Vocals, of which there are plenty, are provided by American cyber-bird Ariel, and while for the most part they work (she sounds more like a computer than a human, so it fits) some people will find them uncomfortable. Likewise the album has a tendency to slide into a sort of cyber-homoerotic amyl-hardhouse, which the present writer thinks is blinding but, again, some will detest. What’s unquestionable, however, is the power behind this music. Some of the biggest sounds, and the biggest arrangements, heard in years; it begs to be played on a large system and I just hope there’s enough discerning DJs out there to make that as much of a reality as possible. Standout tracks, there aren’t any. This is an album where the tracks are like subroutines; X-Dream have invented this new and deviant circuitry which is cycling though its possibilities. Chucking up tracks like fractals, it’s a joyous and addictive sound and raises the bar once more. Of all the CD’s you’ll buy this year, you’ll still be playing We Interface in 2006.

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