 | | Simian Mobile Disco |
Simian Mobile Disco are a production outfit; the spin-off aftershow product of their previous and now defunct incarnation, Simian. With the launch of new album, Attack Decay Sustain Release, just around the corner, they’re carting their Korgs around the country in an attempt to ingrain their electro stylings into the dancegoer’s consciousness. But there’s something very underwhelming about watching two blokes amiably tapping away on gadgets, producing industrial sound noodles over the top of samey simulated bass drum thuds. They’re a dance act, which means, live, that no-one really listens to anything but the beat. You could send out Uncle Peter with a kick drum and a miniature trumpet and people would still keep jigging along. If the beat stops, the crowd stop dancing, as happened a couple of times during track changes, much as if they were playing a set with full band, and it stunted any rising sense of euphoria, much as if you’ve got to the top of a helter-skelter, only to find that someone’s split their pop on the slide and you’ve got to traipse all the way back down on the stairs. When you’re doing a fine trade in high-profile remixes for other artists and you’re producing music that’s really designed to be spun by someone else, it’s no major travesty that the live act doesn’t deliver. However, that then begs the question ‘Why not just do a DJ set instead?’ – at least that way you could chuck in the noticeably absent Justice vs. Simian remix. Why else had the thrift shop stilettos braved the rain? | 
