On the first of the month, I figured I should write an article every single day, since I've never really done that ever. And what better topic than my favorite albums of this past decade? The first seven will be in no real particular order, but the last three will be. These are all personal favorites, so if you have a problem with the list, make your own. Also, I will comment on how I came about the album and why it holds so much weight with me, never mind why the album itself is so good. Anyways, let's begin...
10) JUSTICE - CROSS
As you could probably tell by the picture, the first lucky recipient will be Justice's debut album on Ed Banger Records, the aptly-titled "Cross."
Released in 2007, this album was unlike anything anyone in the States had heard before. Well, mostly. Justice's style of electro is abrasive, throbbing, and nearly teeth-gratting at times, like a bad papercut that just won't go away. However, behind all the white noise is a spectacular album that strays not only from conventional sound, but paints a new picture of dance music that has grown on the general populous ever since.
Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay demonstrate their eclectic electro style right off the cuff on the first track, "Genesis." One of the first tracks I reviewed ever, this cut still stands the test of time, a creaking, growling monolith of a cut that ripples, shakes, and gasps over nearly four minutes of sputtering, clobbering kicks and menacingly sick basslines. The epic synth chords in the beginning signal that this isn't just any dance album...
I really want to highlight the percussion that Justice employ on a variety of occasions. Raw, loose, and jarring, best shown on the intro to "Let There Be Light," the drums of Justice are visceral in their sound, hardly ever sounding anything but live and completely organic. There are no tight drum loops here. The rawness lends itself even better to Justice's style though, fleshing out what would have been a rather hollow sound with glassy, metallic hi-hats and cavernous kicks that really bring tracks to life and to the forefront of the listeners' minds. Similar drum sounds can be heard on "Waters of Nazareth," "DVNO," and "Phantom, Pt.2."
Another thing I love about Justice is the effective use of effects and instrumentation. On "D.A.N.C.E.," a crackling, heady vocal sample meshes (somehow) perfectly with Justice's inflated, bouncing bass and thumping bass riff. Funky, down-to-earth, and absolutely boppin', the drums are downplayed here for a more poppy sound, but it works wonders, with epic synth string stabs punctuating the young vocals throughout the track. A definite highlight.
These effects and instrumentation again show up on "DVNO," a stunning, pretentious ballad to the consistent club-goer, that shimmers, gloats, floats, ripples, sputters, and above all, bounces along on a hyper-ecstatic, ringing, guttural rhythm and beat. The vocal croons through a gossamer veil of chorus and lush vocal inflections that sound desperate and equally haughty. Halfway in, everything cuts out as a beautiful piano line lifts the vocal bridge into creamy clouds of lush instrumentation and synths before dropping it off amidst a killer funk bass line, stuttering synths and drums, and suddenly everything pulls out. Absolutely stunning.
The final highlight, perhaps my favorite, is the second to last track, "Waters of Nazareth." The intro synth line is the epitome of Justice: ear-rupturing, ear-splitting, and completely unpleasant. It's the sonic equivalent to getting a fresh scab torn clean off your skin. But all of a sudden, under the bubbling audio muck, the signature Justice kick bangs and shakes the muck into motion, following the beat of the vicious kick as the synth line stumbles over itself trying to find rhythm and footing amidst the chaos. Hi-hats enter the fray, and soon the entire cut sounds about ready to split at the very seams. A guttural sigh enters on the next eight bars, before everything is thrown into a bubbling pot of sonic heat and goop, melting around itself, the kick ringing loud and clear the whole time. The rhythms bounce off the wall for a few minutes as every single instrument seems to be doing its own thing. The main rhythm is absolutely killer too: tss tss tss tss tsstsstsstsstsstsk. It hisses and snakes through your mind and your body like a rhythmic, audio serpent. Soon the organ blares through, finally cleaned of muck, before loosing its grip and slipping back into the muck. Its audio chaos at its best, maximalism with a flair for rhythm and eclecticism. Absolute favorite. If you're really intrigued, check out Erol Alkan's Durr Durr Durrrr Re-Edit of Waters of Nazareth. A must listen, and by far my favorite version.
Justice is best described as a mix of funk, bass, electro, and metal. Danceable, stuff you can rock out too, and sounds that just make you think, "What the fuck is this shit??!!?" But that's the beauty. Never before have I heard dance music so fresh, new, and intriguing, even by todays standards. Even if they've been copied umpteen times by this time, and their remixes played to death, this album is still a classic, a great of example of dance music finally getting the "Justice" it deserves. Pun!
Check back tomorrow for the next entry. "Cross" is available on Amazon, Beatport, or at your local Walmart probably. If not, just searhc for the .rar file online. But seriously, buy the damn album. You'll be glad you did.
-NL
JUSTICE IS SICKKKKK
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