Made In The Dark EP

UKの面白エレクトロポップバンド、Hot ChipがEPを緊急リリース。なんでも今回ロバート　ワイアットと縁あってスタジオ入り。その中より3曲がセレクトされつつ古い友達＆コラボレーターでもあるGeeseも1曲参加＆もう1曲はリミックスで参加という布陣。カンタベリー、プログレ界の大物とロンドン面白エレクトロポップバンドの組み合わせがどうなってしまうのか？というのが聞き所でありますがやはりこういう音は英国ならではの産物。ジャケも昔の静物画のような構図の写真を現代風にした感じがナイス。

Alternative Press - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "DARK finds Hot Chip shaping their big ideas into inventive, streamlined songs." Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 -- "On this rich and touching LP they confidently draw upon their diverse influences and skill sets in new, often inventive way without spoiling the delicate nature of their songs." Rolling Stone - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] catchy tunes, monster grooves, and lyrics resolving the heartfelt and the smartass." Blender - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here's a newfound decisiveness, a move toward heavier beats, meatier grooves and warmer sentiments." Mojo - 3 stars out of 5 -- "MADE IN THE DARK is incredibly precise....'Hold On' best articulates their uneasy aesthetic, the clash between dancefloor hedonism and detached pop intellectualism..." Spin - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Hot Chip enliven their mix of indie club and British music hall with a surreal playfulness. This is some serious whimsy." Harp - "Bo Diddley beats, sincere ballads, seriocomic stereo manipulations, straight up electro dance jams: Hot Chip proves to be multi-faceted and ever evolving..." The Wire - "Their focused, cleverly crafted pop riffs are impressive....'Bendable Poseable' has richly layered percussion with bleeps and twirls kneaded into an inspired, sticky mass." Clash - "Opener 'Out At The Pictures' kicks things off in great style. An off kilter snapping beat sets up the tune before it breaks into anew and improved Hot Chip funky break complete with buzzes, whirrs and whoops." The Word - "['Made In The Dark'] is an instantly affecting ballad....Here and on the closing 'In The Privacy Of Our Love,' the handbags and spilled drinks are a million miles away....These are affecting revealing love songs..." Q - 4 stars out of 5 -- "MADE IN THE DARK pulses with an unusual intelligence and creative bravery." Record Collector - 3 stars out of 5 -- "MITD's first four tracks present a masterclass in dancefloor-batteriing electro..." Rolling Stone - Ranked #49 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2008 -- "With irresistible party-starters..." Spin - Ranked #08 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2008" -- "The gawky Brits have nearly perfected their giddy blue-eyed robo-soul." Clash - Ranked #24 in Clash's "The 40 Best Albums of 2008" -- "MADE IN THE DARK glows with the promise of an album that'll last the pace for years and mark Hot Chip out as relentless alchemists..."

Hot Chip's pop machinery chugs along at full speed on Made in the Dark. The band's dry wit is illuminated by neon melodies and punctuated by attention-getting beats on "Ready for the Floor," which builds from a rubber band bassline to nervy guitars and synths to make a perfect fusion of dance and rock. Hot Chip's emotional range is as wide as their musical range, swinging from the funky, pissed-off "Shake a Fist" to "One Pure Thought," a witty, wordy gem that comes across like Paul McCartney backed by New Order. Hot Chip honed their skills so much and so quickly that they're almost unrecognizable from the band that made Coming on Strong just three years before. ~ Heather Phares|