Video: MTBig Planet

This is freaking awesome.  BlackPlastic loves the sackboys in Little Big Planet (there is a sentence we wouldn't have predicted a few years ago) and Danteneverdies has put together a video montage / parody of a series of well known dance music videos using Little Big Planet.

The take on the Prodigy complete with graphiti in the form of a LBP sticker is BlackPlastic's personal favourite.

Tracklist:

Flatbeat - Mr Oizo
Sing it Back - Moloko
Satisfaction - Benny Bennasi
Destination Calabria - Alex Gaudino
Right Here Right Now - FatboySlim
Who’s Your Daddy - Benny Bennassi
Starlight - Supermen Lovers
DANCE - Justice
My Boobs are Ok - Lene Alexandre
Hey Boy Hey Girl - The Chemical Brothers
Call on me - Eric Prydz
Invaders Must Die - The Prodigy
One More Time - DAFT PUNK

Source: Danteneverdies / Via: Rubbishcorp & @misstwinkle.

BP x

Single Review: Counterpoint - Delphic

If this is anything to go by then we just might have stumbled across one of 2009's most exciting new bands. Foraging similar territories as BlackPlastic favorites Friendly Fires, Delphic mold a true hybrid between rock and epic, spaced out house music.

Only just entering their second year as a band Delphic come up with their music together on laptops and only then do they figure out how to play it live, laying instruments over the top before finally taking to the stage to perform their songs together in one continuous set.  From what BlackPlastic can hear it sounds like a pretty good system.

First singe 'Counterpoint' is produced by Ewan Pearson and it's a shimmering piece of electronic rock that sounds like an emotional two-finger salute, a celebration of the summer and a call for help all in one.  The video, directed by hAndz, is also quite cool:

Pearson is to start work on producing the debut album soon, meaning it should be one to look out for. Don't just take our word on it - we have a download of Delphic performing 'Counterpoint' live in Amsterdam here (right click, save as).

'Counterpoint' is released on 13 April 2009 on R&S.  Delphic - website / MySpace / Twitter.

Ewan Pearson on Twitter.

BlackPlastic on Twitter.

BP x

Single Review: Wasted My Time - Superpowerless

Superpowerless is 20 year old Oliver Hindle from Leeds and Wasted My Time comes as the winning track from Vodafone's Fast Track competition. Oliver himself describes Superpowerless' sound as "Game Boy-fueled adventure-core" and based on Chiptune debut single 'Wasted My Time' the influence is clear.

Inspired by the Postal Service to get into electronic music and subsequently Depeche Mode and .Adult amongst others the influences are pretty clear with 'Wasted My Time' coming across with the sweet 16 bit pop of the Jimmy Tamborello / Ben Gibbard side project but with a dash of tongue in cheek darkness.

The result, now re-recorded with producer and DJ Andy Chatterly (who has worked with Kanye West in the past, notably on 'Stronger') is quite enjoyable and features a new video directed by Luc Janin that draws on the videogame theme.

'Wasted My Time' is out on Vodafone Live on 23 March 2009 and Superpowerless play live on 24 March at the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch, London.

BP x

Album Review: A Cross The Universe - Justice

Earlier this year Soulwax unleashed the glorious live CD / DVD / Documentary Part of the Weekend Never Dies and it is very difficult not to view and critique A Cross the Universe, itself a live DVD and Documentary / Film, in the same context. And if you do you are left with a far more two dimensional experience: unlike the Soulwax documentary the Justice 'film' is deliberately obtuse. So much so in fact that you will probably feel you know less about the Gallic duo when it is finished than when it began.

Part of the Weekend was an insightful peek into a band that became part of a scene with no name, their influences, their peers and those they have themselves inspired, not to mention life on the road when on a (very) long tour. A Cross the Universe is exclusively a look at the last of these elements and whereas the Soulwax package featured live recordings here there are no full length tracks, just snippets. There is no real insight beyond an anecdotal look at just how weird it is to be a pair of young musicians thrust into fame in a foreign land and at times BlackPlastic was genuinely unsure whether the content on screen was genuine or scripted.

This last fact is probably particularly telling. Real or not, A Cross the Universe is a commentary not on THIS band, but a commentary on being in bands in general and the bizarre and twisted life it leads to. If nothing else, this DVD goes someway to explaining how you end up like Ozzy Osbourne.

So is it any good? BlackPlastic genuinely has no idea.

The CD is a little easier to comment on. You may or may not be aware of the recent controversy surrounding a photo that appeared to show Justice 'playing live' despite that fact their equipment was not plugged in. In good nature the band joked about performing 'unplugged' and argued that the error was noticed when the particular piece of equipment failed to work and there are indeed later shots from the evening that show the equipment with power. This in itself is evidence of the barmyness of being on tour - the fact that such a thing could go unnoticed for long enough that photographic evidence survives.

It also raises a question over whether the recording here is anything more than a studio tweaked version of Cross played to an audience. But it is important to remember that this doesn't actually matter. Firstly because the act of listening to a recorded 'live' event in your home is stupid anyway and secondly because live electronic music is often about little more than spectacle. With none of the vocalists present, what Justice are delivering is the shared experience of enjoying their music with like-minded individuals and, to be honest, putting Cross on shuffle in a big room would work almost as well.

So the tracks are suitably adjusted and there are a couple of re-edits for the die hard fans but the main point off this recording is the audible excitement of the crowd as they cheer and join in. The audio quality is questionable and in BlackPlastic's opinion it isn't as consistent a set as the Soulwax one on Part of the Weekend but there is still enough here to keep you going until the follow up to Cross.

BP x

Video: Feelings Have Changed - The New Sins

BlackPlastic has a big wobbly crush on The New Sins.  Spin off side project from New Young Pony Club's Lou Hayter, first single 'It Doesn't Work Like That' quickly demonstrated where the talent is in NYPC whilst simultaneously bettering their entire first album in 3:13.

'Feelings Have Changed' has the same post-feminist self-assurance and another great 80s video.  It benefits from space and poise.  BlackPlastic says it too often but this is what pop music should be - it sounds like pure extravagance, and Hayter manages to be the shiny gift you know you just haven't been good enough for this Christmas.

Stop drip feeding these releases please - three songs a year is not enough.

BP x