Various Artists - Kitsuné Maison Volume 7

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  • Kitsuné's latest compilation is a meaty affair, 18 tracks in total, with all the usual helpings of disco, electro and indie crossovers. Past releases have varied wildly in terms of quality—from obscure gems such as The Mogs' Kelly Blame on Kitsuné X (a precursor to the Maison compilations) and the unearthing of Digitalism way back on Volume 1—to some inclusions that surely must go in the regret basket. (Hadouken's inclusion on Volume 4 immediately comes to mind.) That said, the label has always maintained a finger, if not on, then somewhere very near the pulse of what's happening in dance music. And so it stands with Kitsuné Maison 7. There are a few ponderous inclusions and a bit of dead wood, yet there are plenty of highlights. Opening track "Something Good Can Work" by Two Door Cinema Club is an infectious piece of indie pop not dissimilar to Vampire Weekend, while the inclusion of Phoenix's new single "Lisztomania"—reworked by LA's most promising electro producers Classixx—adds some muscle to the tracklisting. The Prins Thomas edit to James Yuill's "This Sweet Love" is the most intriguing song on the album—an almost hypnotic piece of cosmic disco. Equally enchanting is "Favourite Things" by Golden Filter, which blends Goldfrappish vocals with a mellow, spacey Italo beat. Beni—formerly of Riot in Belgium—and autoKratz both bring their brand of banging, unpretentious electro to the table, the latter remixed by French prodigy Yuksek. One of the album's true gems is Chew Lips' debut single "Solo," which is electro-pop at its sweet and catchy best. This being the Year of Female synth-playing singer-songwriter, there's the obligatory inclusion of a La Roux track in the form of a pleasant but wholly unremarkable remix of "In for the Kill" by Lifelike. The offerings from We Have Band and Heartsrevolution, meanwhile, don't live up to the standard of their previous releases, and "Rythym" by Renaissance Man sounds like a tame imitation of Claude VonStroke. To some these compilations are becoming an increasingly pedestrian and worryingly frequent affair. But, if their purpose is to showcase new talent—and a couple of mistakes along the way can be forgiven—then Kitsuné 7 is a case of mission accomplished.
  • Tracklist
      01. Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work 02. We Have Band - Time After Time 03. Phoenix - Lisztomania (Classixx Version) 04. Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth 05. The Golden Filter - Favourite Things 06. La Roux - In for the Kill (Lifelike Remix) 07. Beni - Fringe Element (Short Like Me Edit) 08. Autokratz - Always More (Yuksek Remix) 09. 80 Kidz - Miss Mars 10. James Yuill - This Sweet Love (Prins Thomas Sneaky Edit) 11. Men - Make It Reverse 12. Chew Lips - Solo 13. Chateau Marmont - Beagle 14. Heartsrevolution - 薔薇と彼女の王子 15. Delphic - Counterpoint (Delphic’s En Route Mix) 16. Encore 17. Maybb - Touring In Ny (Short Tour Edit) 18. Renaissance Man - Rythym 19. Tanlines - Bejan
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