Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A band that bleeds hipster chic, feeding funky arrangements through a labyrinth of almost irritatingly cool samples, Pepe Deluxe are nothing if not the epitome of contemporary (or is that temporary?) fashion. Like fellow cool cats Dimitri from Paris and especially the Dutch duo Arling and Cameron, this band revels in the irony of pop culture and a glib embrace of retro-sounding grooves. Unlike those artists, however, Pepe Deluxe have a tendency to let their imaginations prevent them from focusing on cohesive music and instead favor the trendy pastiche. Still, the three band members do have an adventurous ear for these kinds of dance floor mish-mashes, mixing flashes of scratch and gut-bucket beats with a compelling cornucopia of whacked-out sound effects. Some songs work this formula to satisfying conclusions, like when the slow-burning "Beat Experience" spreads a fat, lush synthesizer over an acoustic piano track and a hypnotic spoken-word ramble. Other songs require a bit more patience; the endlessly loopy feel of songs like "Tour de Force" can inspire virulent flashes of irritation. Still, the overall experience, despite the self-conscious nature of Pepe's sound, is an interesting one and it can be intensely enjoyable (in small doses, anyway). --Matthew Cooke
Supersound,Pepe Deluxe,Emperor Norton,Dance Music,Pop
Music Review:
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