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Boys Noize
Power
Last Gang Records
out October 6th
72/100
[Rating Scale]
[rating:72/100]
Boys Noize’s sophomore full-length effort, Power, finds Alexander Ridha expanding his palette, for better or for worse. The German DJ, whose name is often found (and rightly so) alongside such heavyweights of electro music as Justice and Daft Punk, strays slightly from the abusively focused push of Oi Oi Oi to create something more disparate, meandering, and still undeniably driving.
Power begins with “Gax,” a track reminiscent of “Shine Shine” off of Oi Oi Oi, but more exploratory, and frankly more interesting. In fact, it is easily one of the most melodic tracks Ridha has put out, held together by an intro, bridge and outro, which muse about in Lydian in what is (for the typically efficient Berliner) an uncharacteristically unrushed fashion. Notably, the melody is pushed to the forefront in a way that sets the stage for the album’s defining feature—an increased use of melody and harmony to push the narrative.
[audio=http://pmatunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/01-boys-noize-gax.mp3,Boys Noize - Gax]
A standout track in this regard is “Jeffer” which mirrors the structure of Boys Noize’s earlier work but manufactures tension with the harmonic material more than with the rhythmic tension that marked earlier tracks. That’s not to say that Ridha has given up his earlier sound. He frequently reaches back into the same dirty, grinding set of tricks as in his previous work. The beat-compressing squeal of tracks like “The Battery” from Oi Oi Oi can still be found in Power, but with greater restraint and subtler purpose. On “Transmission” for instance, there are breaths of air in the arrangement and contrasting melodic material that show a greater maturity on Alexanders Ridha’s part, and a desire to do more than push a head-pounding, floor-shaking agenda.
[audio=http://pmatunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/05-boys-noize-transmission.mp3,Boys Noize - Transmission]
However, if you were fine with Boys Noize’s agenda from the start, you will not be disappointed. While not as potent as its predecessor, Power still delivers earnest and forceful dance music, brash and insistent. The full-length effect of the album is not as cohesive as Oi Oi Oi and at times wanders away from the pulse, with interesting, though inconsistent results. “Trooper” shakes the speakers with a crunch of boots and grime, opening with a march cadence and slamming triplets for almost six minutes—a satisfying change-up midway through the album. “Kontact me” and “Nott” play their experimenting a little too close to the vest and straddle the old Boys Noize and the new, doing neither too much justice.
[audio=http://pmatunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/07-boys-noize-trooper.mp3,Boys Noize - Trooper]
At its best, Power combines Boys Noize’s signature dance floor drive with his newfound melodicism to create something refreshingly creative. If Oi Oi Oi had one fault, it was that “refreshing” moments were hard to find amidst the album’s manic push. It was singularly abrasive and effective, both to its credit and its detriment. Ridha has rounded his sound out slightly, and while he has sacrificed a bit of the edge of Oi Oi Oi, the result is more mature and the variety is welcome. At it’s worst, Power is a bit unfocused an unsure in its new harmonic territory.
Power ends dreamy but dirty, “Heart Attack” doing its best to combine the album’s many elements in muted form, from industrial noise and metallic squeals to dreamy pads, hums and slides, all providing the bedding for a bell-like melody that epitomizes Boys Noize’s evolution in this album.
[audio=http://pmatunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/12-boys-noize-heart-attack.mp3,Boys Noize - Heart Attack]
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by on September 24, 2009 ‡ 1 reaction
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Good review. I liked Oi Oi Oi more, but this album is holding up extremely well.
really excited for this one. everything i've heard so far has been FANtastic!
Aw I wish you were giving this one away. I am really pumped for it. I think I'll be buying this one on the first day of its release
Good album review, it basically sums up my feelings of Power. It's a good listen, but I'm sure I won't be going back to it that often. Other than for my weekend party mixes.
Good stuff! I'm gonna miss the voices telling me that the album is the promotional copy of Power, lol. I think I've listened to the album TOO much
been pining for this one for awhile..it seems like its been ages since oi oi oi dropped…
I'm quite surprised after reading this review, in a positive way! After I've listened to the promo-album of Power, made my own opinion of it, and then read this interview. And I couldn't agree with it any more! It does feel more mature, whilst keeping it's headbanging tunes
DEFINITELY will buy a copy for my own!
8.5/10
Luis, you're killing me!
Everything form this album reeks of a Bloody Beetroots knock-off without the celebratory trance-beats or an angry, instrumental interpretation of MSTRKRFT. I know they're the same genre-sphere so some similarities should be expected, but if feels like it's been done better elsewhere.
There's just a kind of abrasiveness to far too many of the songs. (Probably the industrial tone.)
“Heart Attack” is pretty dreamy though.
how can you compare the bbs, mstrkrft, and boys noize as if they're all the same? haha, THIS IS MADNESS!
I explained how they're similar in my post? I didn't say they were the same.
Instead of just responding with ambiguous outrage, why don't you explain how they aren't similar? Because Pandora, LastFM, wikipedia all put them in the same genre spheres and those bands all end up being reviewed on the same type of websites catering to fans of their genre. (I.e. This site.)
the way each artist puts songs together and the extremely varied differences in sounds and samples makes a huge difference in my opinion, didn't mean to rage in any way.
If you can't place the “abrasiveness” or industrial tone, maybe you should go back and listen to a lot more electronic music before you postulate on it's similarities to BB or MSTRKRFT. Not only is this album thoroughly a product of Alex's German electronica roots (especially the middle third), but he is also exponentially more of a true sound engineer than the Italian Beetroots, who make what are essentially shallow, noisy pop songs for electro heads. And MSTRKRFT? Come on, haha.
Where did I say I like the Bloody Beetroots? I just drew the comparison. Perhaps therein lies my disappointment…
the whole lp sounded ok to me, he needs to drop another oioioi.
Oi Oi Oi was definitely more ground breaking and was filled with more exciting tracks, but this is still good. Gax, Jeffer, Kontact Me, and Sweet Light are some really good songs and the others are still ok enough to buy. I would pick this album up if I were you.
Oi Oi Oi was definitely more ground breaking and was filled with more exciting tracks, but this is still good. Gax, Jeffer, Kontact Me, and Sweet Light are some really good songs and the others are still ok enough to buy. I would pick this album up if I were you.
Very good and thorough review. very well written. I only listened to Jeffer and felt exactly what you're describing here: an evolution towards melodic plays more than beat, WHICH IS GREAT! Every time I read about a new Dj/producer “breaking” out, I allow myself the benefit of doubt. The same in the case of Boyz Noize 2 years ago. But to be very very honest, in these 2 years I've gotten to admire and truly respect the dude. He rocks, he puts out original sound constantly and he keeps it independent. Hats of for Alex Ridha!
bloody beetroots is shit compared to this
bbs is shit compared to pretty much everything
in your opinion.
in your opinion.
Anyone who says Oi Oi Oi is better than Power may possibly have lost their mind, and anyone who says Boys Noize is better than the Bloody Beetroots has definitely lost their mind. Bbs is fuckin incredible. Better than Justice too. Yep… I said it