From The Vault II

Another old school electroclash record from way back when this time, a bit darker than Golden Boy's effort and widley regarded as the album that coined the term "electroclash" and home of the cult hit Frank Sinatra long time music buddies Miss Kittin & The Hacker's collabrative effort and the aptly titled First Album It's a simple collaboration; Hacker on the tech and Kittin taking care of the vocals. you can't argue with results though, take the culture critique of the opening track Life On MTV for example.



Originally from the Champagne EP along with Frank Sinatra, this track takes a fairly minimal approach and is pretty much the duo's version of Daft Punk's Teachers: making references to Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough, Soft Cell's Tainted Love and New Order's Blue Monday among others.



Stock Exchange is First Album in a nutshell: it's catchy and all that but the lyrics are... different to say the least if you're not used to the 'scene' of electroclash and their particular brand of it - telling the tale of a woman attracted to fancy Wall Street types delivered in emotionless monotone fashion by Kittin - both a style and content that would become staples of electroclash.



This track sums up the turn of the millenium electronic scene in a slightly sarcastic way. As a track it doesn't work for me for too long, but thanks to Kittin chiming in occasionally with lyrics like "This is what our music is about: You and Us" it remains fresh and is actually one of my favourites from the album!



Another one of my favourites; Slow Track is (predictably) a slow track. Hacker's production is solid. It's the shortest track on the album, which isn't nessecarily a bad thing; it's the perfect length for it.



I know I've missed out the electroclash anthem that is Frank Sinatra, and that's because I prefer this alternate mix of it from later on in the album, it's much more refined than the original mix while retaining the elements that made it popular in the first place, including the Peaches-esque obscene edge to the lyrics.



And finally, a single released after the album that got included on the 2009 re-issue, The Beach doesn't fit the techno stylings of earlier tracks and is instead straight up house. Sampling 80's Italo Disco (I Want You by Gary Low) and featuring a Moroder style groove, it's one of my favourite House tracks ever (along with all of Roulé and Crydamoure of course :D).



He's Dead. DEAD!,
-Claude Van Foxbat