Alex Jones - Disappointing Dancefloors Since 2005

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  • Over the past few months, Hypercolour has established itself as an outlet for achingly trendy deepdubbywobbly house tracks, so it's no surprise that their 20th release is on-point and relevant. What's perhaps slightly more unexpected, though, is that it's just a little bit irritating as well. (In the most endearing way possible.) Opener "Romania Pike" bursts into full vocal mode after a mere 30 seconds of stuttering beats, with growling bass backing the sultry female vocal. There's more than a touch of '80s synth-pop about the track, both in the stark, Roland-ish drums and the florescent neon stabs that occasionally bully their way into proceedings. The title track could hardly be labelled "vocal," but there's barely a moment in which some twisted voice or another isn't raised to fore, momentarily distracting you from the powerful beats. This distraction becomes the aforementioned irritation when a piercing ghostly whine totally dominates the track—the kind of noise that will totally divide opinion. "Morning Game" continues with the warbled vocal shenanigans; here, the protagonist starts clear and crisp but continuously batters their voice against cruel sheet-metal structures until they emerge at the end of the track raw, exposed and almost indecipherable. In all these tracks—except maybe the nice and groovy (and out of place as a result) digital-only collaboration with Kris Wadsworth—Jones seems to delight in stretching out phrases and loops a little longer than the listener finds entirely comfortable. This may make the first listen a little jarring. But they're growers and, more importantly, original, thought-provoking and bound to cause arguments.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Morning Game B1 Disappointing Dancefloors B2 Romania Pika Digital: Alex Jones feat. Kris Wadsworth - Cowboy Trap
RA