Album Review: Soulwax - Any Minute Now

Author: Dollyrocker

For those of you not familiar with Soulwax, they sprang into the nations consciousness back in 1999 with their second LP; 'Much Against everyone's Advice'. I don't think that they were doing anything outstandingly different at the time, although they certainly had a hardcore following in London, and the first time I became really aware of them was when I was lucky enough to witness them doing their debut 'Trash' debut DJ set at Londons now defunct 'The Annexe'. They created an impact for sure, mashing up Beck accapellas with Prodigy instrumentals AND and making it sound COOL!

Before you knew it, they were DJing everywhere, and two years after I saw them at Trash, they were happily blowing minds at the monthly London Bridge electro bash; Bodyrockers, where they would each month get together with FC Kahuna, Erol Alkan and Lazurus to play all the latest Electro and Techno, with the odd mash up chucked in for good measure. So where did that leave them as a band with their newly (or soon to be found) superstar DJ tag? Thankfully, as they found themselves with an early peak, back in the studio working on the recently released 'Any Minute Now'. I could have sworn that this was supposed to have come out in 2003, but hey.

So what lies beneath the surreal (and in all honesty, a tad cheesy) artwork? Finished squinting everyone? Right, lets get on with the LP then.

"E Talking", which is also the next single by the way, opens things up nicely, showing a nice mix of pyschedelia, electro and good ol' indie, shows that they have certainly picked up a few tricks via their record boxes. Bound to be an indie club smash, this. You are probably already aware of 'Any Minute Now', which not only was overshadowed by The Libertines last single, ie; released in the same week, but is also in the same key. Isn't life a funny old stoat?

We get electro and rock in pretty much equal measure, and in all honesty, it's all very, very good indeed. If you were to spend a tenner on a new release LP this year, then I would make it this one, or maybe Scissor Sisters. 'A Ballad To Forget' is lovely 70s piano ballad, without a whiff of Elton Johns fur coats to be found, thank gawd.

The real genius moment on the LP is 'NY Excuse' which is like an update 'I'm Waiting For My Man' spun through the Electro converter, with lots more style and a shitload of euphoria. Total brilliance, I would seriously assume that this is also a future single.

'Dance 2 Slow' is a dreadful LP closer, but when most bands put out shabby LPs with one or two tracks that are OK, this LP really shines out as the brilliant tracks are totally amazing.

Don't give up your day jobs boys, eh?