Saturday, July 28, 2012

Is this what you want?

There's no denying it. Electronic music is hotter than ever before. It's trendy, it's right, it fills the dance floors and the wallets of club owners and record executives. It's also quick and relatively easy to make. Proof of this is ample, just look at the insane quantities of r'n'b/hip hop/house singles that are being churned out everyday, available for download on iTunes.

Thankfully, there are a few artists out there who still take their electronic music seriously.
Quality over quantity.
Integrity over money.
Individuality over hive mind.

Maybe I'm being fussy? In fact I know I am, but I know what I like. In my (humble?) opinion the really good electronic/house tracks are few and far between.

But the German producer and electronic artist Alex Rihda, better known as Boys Noize gives me new hope. He recently premiered his first track 'What You Want' via Rolling Stone music (click the loudspeaker symbol just under the picture, you luddite), the first teaser from his upcoming album 'Out Of The Black' and I think it sounds dirty and awesome.

HarderBloggerFaster (an excellent music blog you should follow if you like electronic music) described the track as "German Daft Punk on acid". I couldn't have said it better myself. (Like, really.. I couldn't.. That's why I quoted them...) Alex Rihda says the track combines a lot of his favourite elements of electronic music, and I couldn't agree more. There's a bit of Beastie Boys' 'Intergalactic' in there, as well as Daft Punk's distinctive robot voice sound from the 'Human After All' album. Mix it together on top of a fat beat and you've got some pure house goodness.

In my mind, the lines in the track "This is what you want, This is what you get" is Boys Noize reminding us of what proper hard-hitting, well produced house music should sound like. THIS is what you want, not fucking David Guetta... (He also rocks a mean monobrow which at least is 'individual', to put it diplomatically...)


(For a readily accessible teaser you can click the soundcloud link below. To listen to the full track, click the rolling stone music link in the article)