REVIEW - FAZE ACTION - STRATUS ENERGY

Format: CD album
Released: May 18
Label: Word & Sound

Faze Action, or brothers Simon and Robin Lee to their mum, first burst onto the music scene in the late 90s with 'In The Trees', helping to launch what was for a while the trendiest house label around, the now defunct Nuphonic.

That single was unique because, at a time when everyone was making ultra-cheesy handbag or desperately serious Detroit techo, it took an effortless house groove and added layers of stirring cellos and strings that took it to another, hithertoo unexplored place.

Circa 2009, and it's suddenly clear where that unlikely soundclash came from. 'Startus Energy' is unashamedly retro, pulling heavily on 70s disco like the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack (big on strings) as well as other trademark sounds of the era like 'Popcorn' and 'Oxygene'.

So, depending on how you react to such influences, you'll either find tracks like 'I Wanna Dancer', 'Starship' and 'Disco Warrior' an abomination of nature or the best fun since that drug dealer started chucking out bundles of cash onto the Mexican freewway.

At least they've had the guts to go the whole hog and re-create the sound in all its complex, multi-musician glory - rather than just help themselves to the samples. They've certainly got the most important element right - the sheer joy and unretrained, utterly uncool (in a way) goofiness of the era, expressed through simple but effective grooviness.
4/5