The Glimmers – Whomp That Sucker review

It seems slightly odd that in a career that stretches back over 20 years, The Glimmers are only now making their debut proper on Gomma Recordings. In this time the Belgian duo annoyed The Rolling Stones, curated compilations for Eskimo and done mixes for Fabric and DJ Kicks, helped form electroclash and lived to tell the stories, remixed all and sundry and put out countless EPs and albums on their own Diskomo imprint and others.

So remix for Phenomenal Handclap Band aside, the duo of Mo and David make a belated appearance on Gomma with their new album Whomp That Sucker. One sitting with the nine tracks included is all you need to realise it’s been worth the wait. Recorded in conjunction with close pal Ray Mang, David & Mo Glimmers set the tone with the sprawling analogue bliss of opening track “U Rocked My World” with the low acid bass and thumping drums punctuated by a diva vocal refrain. Heavy arpeggios and inventively chaotic drum filters characterise the album’s title track, whilst the dominant bassline on “Beats In Space” are a hallmark of Ray Mang’s involvement. The accompanying press release from Gomma urges the listener to play this album loud and such advice should be followed as the raw sensation of tracks such as “Patty Cake Online” is best experienced when you can feel the sinewy bass throbbing away in your guts, your skull pounded by the turbo-charged percussion and your inner ear perplexed by the multi faceted analogue effects. Whomp That Sucker will remain an album of raw visceral unadulterated dance music which reaps rich rewards on the dancefloor for many years to come.

Tony Poland