Out Of The Black was one of the more ‘uncommon’ releases by the German electronic godsend, Boys Noize. Interestingly enough however, it would be some of the tracks on this release, that would draw more new fans into the sophisticated spiderweb of techno greatness, with tracks such as XTC, Ich R U and Got It, featuring the illustrious Snoop Dogg, all playing a big part of getting his name out there.
It’s been 2 years now though, Alex Ridha had released a mini LP in 2015, piling up dancefloors with Cerebral and captivating a more ‘lowkey’ audience with his collaboration with Tiga entitled 808 Iraq. But what if you throw this conventional method out the window entirely? What you get is Mayday, an experimentation of different sounds and rhythms, all tightly packaged in a thirteen track centerpiece.
The album opens with Overthrow, which just so happens to be a fitting name for an anarchic track of its kind, with its booming basses and drops that would shatter the hardest of bones. Tracks such as Dynamite featuring the British musician, Benga and the title track, Mayday, all up Overthrow’s a-game, throwing down some of the tightest electronic riffs and sequences we’ve happened to see all year.
Things hit a different note however with Euphoria, which was recently covered on the site, but took a very different approach compared to the likes of Boys Noize’s other music, opting for the more ‘underground’ vibe. 2 Live and Would You Listen, summon us back to his Out Of The Black days, with its bold and brash approaches and musical inclines.
However, the standout track on this album by a landslide is Starchild, which at its essence doesn’t even sound like a Boys Noize track, but that’s just the magic that Ridha can aimlessly pull off. POLIÇA, the American synthpop band from Minneapolis would lend their talents to this track, giving the track its distinguished and oversensitive feel.
Feeling somewhat nostalgic? Hardkotzen, samples a very familiar track in its opening few seconds, drawing inspiration from Mr. Oizo‘s Cut Dick and the three-minute ordeal continues to be as cut-throat as the rest of Oizo’s discography. Lastly however – we have Birthday, an odd track featuring the likes of Hudson Mohawke who had recently collaborated with Kanye West on his latest album and rapper Spank Rock who subsides on the same label as Boys Noize.
It’s different to what we’re used to, we know. But for some reason, this album keeps us coming back for more and more everytime and it’s pretty special regardless of it’s changed dynamics. We salute you Boys Noize.
Check out the whole album below: