Gang Gang Dance
(The Social Registry)
On their 2005 album, God's Money,
Gang Gang Dance showed a huge amount of potential with their avant-garde,
tribal take on dance music and experimental electronics. Three years later,
their new album, Saint Dymphna, named
after the daughter of an Irish pagan, is the work of a band that has truly
found its sonic character. The record is a constantly shifting and wonderfully
eclectic blend of Eastern drones, bhangra beats, ambient soundscapes, punk rock
attitude, and hip-hop boom-bap, all underscored by the combined talents of a
progressive group of musicians intent on fighting off stagnancy.
A digital helicopter thwack opens the album, as "Bebey" builds up to a stuttering melody infused with Middle-Eastern tones and chords. This song blends right into the next, "Holy Communion," the first time that Lizzi Gougatsos' sometimes screeching but never shrill vocals surface. Her No Wave/post-punk take on the role of lead vocalist fits in perfectly over the trance builds and West African syncopation of this track. Something that will be mentioned in every review of Saint Dymphna, but it is nevertheless noteworthy, is the recruitment of London-based grime MC, Tinchy Stryder, on the song "Princes." This could easily have gone the route of simpering hip-hop mimicry. Fortunately, Gang Gang Dance plays to their idiosyncratic strengths and sounds instead of getting in over their heads, and the song works quite well. Contrast this song with the ambient free-jazz of "Desert Storm," and the band's myriad of influences becomes brilliantly clear.
Saint Dymphna plays best when listened to as a whole, as songs seamlessly merge into each like a DJ mix. This makes sense, because ultimately what Gang Gang Dance is making is dance music. Their commitment to avoiding clichés and taking chances is what makes their work stand out from the throngs.
Standout Tracks: "Holy Communion," "Desert Storm" JONAH FLICKER
