Somewhat cruelly cast aside by the phenomenally successful XL Recordings in 2003 (one time home of Basement Jaxx, Lemon Jelly, White Stripes, Raconteurs, Prodigy, Tapes n Tapes et al), Dubai’s Christian Craig Robinson proves that the vast majority of ‘vital’ and ‘happening’ of things are not occurring in the most ‘vital’ and ‘happening’ of places. His third album release on his own ‘Faith and Industry’ records is a beautifully freaky jumble of shamelessly upbeat and effervescent electro-pop (‘Go Go Go’), surreal beatnik rave (‘Diamond Skies’, ‘Acid Flavela’), camp show tunes (‘Libertania’) and neurotic glam (‘Drum Street’) – variously inspired by Kafkas Metamorphosis, thumb piano music, shoegazing, property developers, Rambo and Favela Funk.
Stuffed full of samples, multi-narratives, parallel dimensions and all manner of digital and analogue synths, the album succinctly recalls the experience of taking a 1980s time-bubble, packing it with jelly, Steve Strange’s testicles, some shocking-white grease paint, a scratchy copy of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, a Ninetendo DS and half a dozen acid tabs.
Unashamedly alien.
CAPITOL K – ‘NOTES FROM LIFE ON THE WIRE WITH A WRECKING BALL’ – RELEASED 08.09.08