Chirpy
electronica maestro ‘Daedelus’ aka Alfred Darlington
is back after 2006’s ‘Denies The Days Demise’.
With this 5 track 18 minute EP, Daedelus has embarked on a journey
in a new direction, moving away from the cerebral, baroque electronic
music of his earlier albums towards a more funked-up, dance orientated
aesthetic. The opener and title track ‘Fair Weather Friends’
announces this change mildly with a summer-time romp featuring
accentuated beats, a catchy keyboard riff and playground background
vocals (a la Kieran Hebden). The EP then moves into a the dark
electro tinged R&B stomper which marks a complete change in
direction, moving far away from effervescent and playful electronica
towards what sounds like a rather cool remix of a commercial UK
R&B act. The follow-up ‘Hermitage’ showcases Daedelus
on fine form, exercising a driving electro-squelch within a hard-rock
aesthetic which keeps the head nodding and the knees bending.
Highly danceable but more style than substance.
‘El Subidon’ is the darkest track on ‘Fair Weather
Friends’ and features a bouncy melodic synth trying desperately
to escape from the clutches of heavily processed, sub-aquatic
squelch. Although starting off well, proceedings start to drift
as the track progresses and the elements collapse into each other
lazily. ‘Fair Weather Friends’ closes on the warm
70’s electro melodies and old-skool hip-hop samples of ‘Bonjour’
which sounds like The Herbaliser has got his paws on Kid Loco’s
finest for a set at the Playboy Mansion. All in all, ‘Fair
Weather Friends’ is a nice, inoffensive and therefore relatively
forgettable foray into kooky electronica. It should appeal to
fans of his earlier material and for fans of the artists mentioned
below.
For fans of: Kid Loco, Funki Porcini, Bob Sinclair
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