Spring Break
Hot Chip - "Made in the Dark"
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: The Edge
"Made in the Dark" is the latest album from the British electropop band known as Hot Chip. Formed in 2000, the band spent a lot of time releasing self-produced works until finally picking up a record label with Moshi Moshi in 2003. Since then, the band has released two studio albums, and its new release, "Made in the Dark," is Hot Chip's third.
The grooves and beats on the CD are a variety of both slow, heartfelt love songs and quick-paced electronic (and somewhat psychedelic) frenzies. All in all, the music sounds similar to a soundtrack straight out of an old Nintendo game with lyrics as a bonus. This is not to say Hot Chip is boring, too repetitive or full of irritating Pac-Man sound effects, by any means. In fact, the music on the album is quite the opposite, often changing drastically mid-song, sometimes even erratically. When the beats are fast-paced, which quite a few of them are, the songs just sound really cool. They can be compared to a speed-popping, techno version of something along the lines of the "Super Mario Brothers" theme.
Yet, this CD has its flaws. The organization of this album is a bit of a disappointment. After listening to it, the CD feels as if the best songs are the first four or five and the rest, unfortunately, do not measure up.
This demands a painstaking attentiveness to the remainder of "Made in the Dark," which includes the slow and dull song from which the album takes its name. The rest simply are not as fun and crazy as the first few.
Depending on how one chooses to pick up this release (whether in the stores, from Amazon.com or downloaded from iTunes), there are slight variations.
The iTunes version contains two exclusive bonus tracks not included in the hard copies. This is also not to mention the Internet download is cheaper. The only bonus offered by the CDs is that one version of it is packed with a DVD that contains video recordings from live shows. This, of course, is something geared more toward the hardcore Hot Chip fan.
Overall, "Made in the Dark" isn't a bad album. It has fun moments of seemingly drug-induced, electronic craziness. Those first few songs on the album sound great for what they are. They're fast. They're cool, especially when played loud. Yet, the later songs demand an audience more attuned and attracted to the electropop sound - one that can handle the slow, synthesized dreadnaught of an electronic love song. They lack the gusto of the beginning tracks that gain the respect of the casual listener.
-Scott Waldyn
edge staff
The grooves and beats on the CD are a variety of both slow, heartfelt love songs and quick-paced electronic (and somewhat psychedelic) frenzies. All in all, the music sounds similar to a soundtrack straight out of an old Nintendo game with lyrics as a bonus. This is not to say Hot Chip is boring, too repetitive or full of irritating Pac-Man sound effects, by any means. In fact, the music on the album is quite the opposite, often changing drastically mid-song, sometimes even erratically. When the beats are fast-paced, which quite a few of them are, the songs just sound really cool. They can be compared to a speed-popping, techno version of something along the lines of the "Super Mario Brothers" theme.
Yet, this CD has its flaws. The organization of this album is a bit of a disappointment. After listening to it, the CD feels as if the best songs are the first four or five and the rest, unfortunately, do not measure up.
This demands a painstaking attentiveness to the remainder of "Made in the Dark," which includes the slow and dull song from which the album takes its name. The rest simply are not as fun and crazy as the first few.
Depending on how one chooses to pick up this release (whether in the stores, from Amazon.com or downloaded from iTunes), there are slight variations.
The iTunes version contains two exclusive bonus tracks not included in the hard copies. This is also not to mention the Internet download is cheaper. The only bonus offered by the CDs is that one version of it is packed with a DVD that contains video recordings from live shows. This, of course, is something geared more toward the hardcore Hot Chip fan.
Overall, "Made in the Dark" isn't a bad album. It has fun moments of seemingly drug-induced, electronic craziness. Those first few songs on the album sound great for what they are. They're fast. They're cool, especially when played loud. Yet, the later songs demand an audience more attuned and attracted to the electropop sound - one that can handle the slow, synthesized dreadnaught of an electronic love song. They lack the gusto of the beginning tracks that gain the respect of the casual listener.
-Scott Waldyn
edge staff
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