Danton Eeprom – Yes is More review

Artist: Danton Eeprom
Title: Yes is More
Label: Infine France
Genre: Techno, Minimal House/Tech House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download

In 2008 I saw the spectacle of a man in a white leather suit and shades distorting his vocals over his own glitchy, techy beats while flinching about on stage like a distressed penguin. I was absolutely impressed with this performance from the man known as Danton Eeprom.  Naturally, I jumped at the chance to do a review for the wacky, eccentric London-based Frenchman’s debut full length album thinking I was going to hear a collection of odd, quirky dance floor tracks.  Well, let’s just say Eeprom, unpredictable as always, went beyond my expectations by cooking up a uniquely beautiful album of eclectic catchy, dare I say- songs.  Oh, don’t get me wrong…the odd quirk factor is still there, but wrapped in a frantic yet serene concoction of songs that sound equally awesome in the headphones as they would on the dance floor. “Confessions of an Opium Eater”, “Unmistakably You” and “Tight” will be sure to get even the most lethargic dance floor moving (even North American ones). “Give Me Pain” starts with an accordion riff before giving way to a dirty bassline, sexy beat and later a burst of horns that all complement the trademark lusty vocals of Eeprom fans have come to love.

Eeprom has a sound all his own, but if you really need to have a comparison picture the weirder side of Matthew Dear’s techno combined with the breezy electronic pop of Air. Having done stunning remixes for artists as diverse as Royksopp and Simian Mobile Disco as well as collaborating with tech-house master Radio Slave on the massive “Grindhouse” single, Yes is More truly reflects Eeprom’s penchant for pushing boundaries.  For some added “wtf-value”, there’s even a great cover Sister Sledge’s disco classic “Lost in Music”. Oh yeah, and the last three cuts have to be some of the warmest moments of indie/electronic in 2010 so far.  For real.

Review: Steve Phillips