In 2002 and 2003 it was hard for any serious music journalist to escape using the term electroclash, or punk-funk, or "No Wave." This was especially true with regards to some of the freshest sounding acts that were busting out all over the world, and specifically from New York.
From the hectic nine-minute epic of !!!'s "Me and Giulliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story)" to the lo-fi punk of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's debut E.P., these labels were bouncing around with the usual careless abandon of any other over-used arbitrary subgenreing ("Emo" was probably its nearest predecessor). And DFA, at once a premier production team and nascent record label, headed the herd with its first label compilation in September 2003. DFA (Death From Above) is former UNKLE member Tim Goldsworthy (who did some outstanding work for James Lavelle's [DJ Shadow] MoWax) and drummer and LCD Soundsystem founder James Murphy. The comp was full of prime material, including breakthrough tracks like the Rapture's "House of Jealous Lovers," and the LCD Soundsystem's "I'm Losing My Edge," which chronicled the advent of every hip musical movement from the everlasting beach parties in Ibiza to the onset of Chicago house.
That compilation neatly paralleled an earlier "No Wave" scene comp. After an infamous music festival held at the Artist's Space Gallery in SoHo, producer-musician Brian Eno gathered the bands he'd seen at the festival and created his No New York compilation. The album boasted twisting, mutated funk and soulful punk meanderings from four talented groups: James Chance and the Contortions, Mars, D.N.A. and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. Eno's 1978 comp would become a touchstone for art-rockers like Sonic Youth and a generation of forward-thinking dance-head funk-flingers alike.
DFA's latest release, Compilation #2 kicks off with drenching disco beats and cloying chants of a basic French greeting ("Bonjour, bonjour comment allez-vous?"), on Black Leotard Front's "Casual Friday." The 15-minute plus track dives headfirst into the world of office holidays and blasts out massive disco-house beats. The next track, "Sunplus (DFA Remix)" by label newcomers J.O.Y. has much more of an electroclash feel, sporting bobbing and beating electronic beats beneath a sheath of scratchy female vocals. The original version of the song pops up on disc two of this three-disc set.
After placing a mere eight tracks on Compilation #1, DFA has remedied its previous lack of quantity by releasing Compilation #2 as two discs of mostly unreleased tracks (many of which are slowly finding release on limited edition 12") and one disc of DFA's finest new tracks mixed together by DJ Tim Sweeney (who hosts New York City's Beats In Space mix show) and DFA's Tim Goldsworthy.
While the mix disc is very listenable and would make for some stellar party listening, the first two discs really display the talent coming out of DFA. The Rapture kicks out a few of its signature sounds, bleeding deep synth rock and yelping verses on the staggering "Alabama Sunshine." And the DFA remix of "Sister Savior" pumps out a house-fueled, dancefloor gem. Original No Wavers Liquid Liquid contributes the swaggering punk-funk track "Bellhead," which infuses conga beats and a mess of tinkling bells into a thick percussive conversation.
Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom concoct the staunch soundscape of "El Monte," which furiously swirls and swells inside a myriad of synth-organ. And their "Rise" finds itself plunkering out of control after DFA adds its unique touch on a remix.
Black Dice's "Wastered" and "Endless Happiness (Eye Version)" mix in a solid fusion of electro-punk and art-house noise, which contrasts nicely with the more danceable fare. Pixelton, another new group, sprays a tempestuous track, "That's the Way I Like It" into the comp, with a flowing distorto-bass riff and endlessly echoed vocals and rants. The Juan Maclean rocks out with Giorgio Moroder-like synth journeys on "Less Than Human," "I Robot (Mastered)" and "Dance Hall Modulator Dub." The LCD Soundsystem lays down three great tracks full of ranting vocal wanderings and acid house blister-bites of frothing electronics.
The albums are less listenable than the first comp, if only because now there's an overload of repeated content, especially since the mix disc is made up of mostly tracks off the first two discs, but also because LCD Soundsystem and J.O.Y. songs show up on both discs in different remixed form. Overall, DFA Compilation #2 manages to drop a ton of hot material that will get the ravers pogoing and punching and convince the punks to pick up a pair of turntables and a box of vinyl.
Grade: A/B
