moments of a cliché

Moments of a Crisis
Various Artists
Digital release: July 21

Physical release: September 8

The art of making compilation albums is quickly becoming as important as creating original music. Take a look at 2009’s effulgent ensembles Kitsune Maison Compilation 7 and The Bomb from DJ Ross. Even Remix After All, which isn’t a compilation, used the power of combining sex-based producers into a small musical space. Strength in numbers, ja?

Now Moments of a Crisis has beamed down upon us from the cosmos. Well, from Cosmo Vitelli actually. Moments celebrates the best work from his Parisian label I’m A Cliché and is looking to be one of the biggest electro-house projects to surface this year.

For the laggard bastards out there I’m a Cliché has previously released 12-inches by Simian Mobile Disco, Yuksek, Bot’Ox, Quiet Village and Tacteel & Tekel.

The compilation comprises two discs. The first is titled ‘Overtime’ and features the label’s “classic releases”, according to the label’s publicist. The second disc is simply called ‘Holiday’. Why these names are so conceptually terrific is when you combine them, in either order, you have something called “Hedonistic Insanity”, or simply “Rip My Shirt Off This Feels So Fucking Incredible”. It's hard to argue with the ingenuity and creative forces at work here.

Overall the album is dark and brooding, like Batman gazing over a sad Gotham crying for its saviour to sever the darkness. The funked-up, rollicking ‘Converted’ (Cosmo Vitelli), ‘The Mighty Atom’ (SMD), ‘Putting in the Overtime’ (Runaway) and ‘Everywhere in Town’ (Yuksek) all glide like the Batplane through disc one, with a black & white motif in common. The rest of the disc is just excellent.

Bot'Ox - Rue de l'Arsenal (Yuksek Remix)

Disc two is more colourful. ‘Up and Down’ (Electronicat), ‘Car Jacked’ (Bot’Ox) and ‘It’s a Fine Line’ (Grease) are like shitting rainbows. They’re perfect numbers for escaping to a midday beach with a few friends. You could play them on your iPod dock while twirling around in brim hats and on surfboards, full of broad smiles and tan lines. The Canyons’ 'Blue Snakes' though, that’s just wow in an “i met god while I was tripping,” kind of way. It just didn’t occur to me until I heard it on this album, next to so many complimentary sounds.

Yuksek - Everywhere In Town (Cosmo Vitelli Remix)

A solid album worth an easy 4 stars.

Get your filthy little hands on a copy of Moments of a Crisis here.