X-PRESS 2 have already made a sizeable mark on the dance landscape with the vinyl-only success of their early SKINT single releases, "Muzikizum", "AC/DC" and "Smoke Machine" (all included here) and with the superb recent collaboration "Lazy" with the legendary DAVID BYRNE, are already in line for a potential "dance single of the year" trophy.
This writer certainly concurs with this latter; a no-nonsense dance tune with the slippery, disconnected feel of TALKING HEADS circa "Speaking In Tongues". X-PRESS 2'S ASHLEY BEEDLE has spoken of his lifetime's desire to collaborate with BYRNE and the end result's magnificent. The way BYRNE sings: "I'm wicked and I'm lazy…aah…don't you wanna save me?" is already sounding like a highlight in his canon.
So, it's infinitely frustrating to discover that ROCKY, DIESEL and BEEDLE (collectively X-PRESS 2) fail to keep the heat on here and, ultimately, at 61 minutes, "Muzikizum" is seriously over long and trying. The collaboration with DEITER MEIER (YELLO) isn't bad, his breathless, whispered vox and bizarre presence lending the track some badly needed charisma, while the album's other guest vocalist STEVE EDWARDS (from PRESENCE) imbues "Call That Love" with a convincing soulful pop vibe.
Unfortunately, that's pretty much where the (even vaguely) essential stuff peters out. For all its' bouncy house sensibility, "Muzikizum" - the track - is at best only mildly diverting and a glut of tunes that follow in its' wake, like the minimal, motorik beat of "Supasong" (oh no! vocoder alert!) and the low-rent pounding of "Angel" have a tendency to make you think of either nipping off to make that cup of tea or head off to creosote the fence or tidy the garage or whatever.
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The remaining four tracks do little to raise the pulse beat either, sadly. "Palenque" is standard bloops, bleeps 'n' beats a go-go; "Smoke Machine" is busier and more involved with supercharged beats, but ultimately goes nowhere slowly despite several aborted attempts to climax; "AC/DC" is a little better, with haring bass rhythms and what sounds like a didgeridoo droning away, while "The Ending" just…well, sort of ponces around for a while, though it does eventually break into a synth-y melody line. By then, though, it's all a tad anti-climatic.
To be fair, X-PRESS 2 and "Muzikizum" are a cut above some of the faceless art conceits purporting to be dance music these days and in their DAVID BYRNE collaboration they have something to be genuinely proud of. Unfortunately, most of "Muzikizum" goes off like a greyhound and eventually limps home like a lame mongrel.
To conclude, then, a word to potential owners out there. Given care, attention and love, your pet's qualities may shine through in time. Considerable supplies of patience are definitely required, though.
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