 CD Review - Various Artists Indielectro
By Tamsin Cracknell
Genre: Indie rock, electropop, new wave
Label: David Gresham Record Company
If pop music and dance music met, fell in love, moved to the suburbs and had a baby, electropop would be it. And the new Gresham compilation Indielectro would be the perfect album for baby's first year.
It's a head-bopping cross section of the less mainstream side of the genre, proving that there's so much more to it than Lady Gaga. Featuring artists big and small, local and international, the songs on this album are eternally upbeat, and extremely catchy. A generous helping of 20 tracks manages to straddle both ends of the pop/dance scale.
It's a broad scale, at that: under what other name could a track from post-punk rockers Placebo reside next to an anthem from electronica giant Tiesto? They're both on this album – and curiously at home next to each other – along with the likes of MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Faber Drive and Zebra and Giraffe filling in the gaps.
While it might seem like vocoded pop has only been receiving radio play over the last few years, the genre is almost 30 years old, with outfits like Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys having shaped the mould in the ‘80s. That's right – electropop is a retro thing.
The modern, indie face of electro, however, is a different breed: tape loops, synthesisers and sequencers of yore are matched with edgier rock riffs, melodious vocals, and lyrics that actually say something, resulting in the simultaneous energy of a club track and the repeated playability of your favourite indie rock.
The Temper Trap's Fader and The Wind Blows from All American Rejects are favourite tracks, but whatever your musical inclinations, you'll be able to relate to something in this spread. Perfect for lone relaxation or getting the party started, if you think you might like electropop, Indielectro makes a great introduction.
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