Attack Decay Sustain Release - Simian Mobile Disco

...clothes after last night's rave. Attack Decay Sustain Release refers to the modulation section found on most electronic musical equipment.

Sleep Deprivation is the track that gets proceedings underway, and even the most stubborn scenester would find their body moving to it's driving pulse. This track sounds like a ten year update of Insomnia by Faithless (boy didn't we need that). As Sleep Deprivation ebbs away, the clumsy beats and ...
...specific areas of dance/house music. Attack Decay Sustain Release lends itself to every area of the genre, which makes it highly accessible. I will be surprised if I don't end up having this album played at every party I go to this summer. It would seem that this is the summer of Simian Mobile Disco.  ... more

In the past few years, Simian Mobile Disco have dominated the underground UK dance scene. They have concocted piles of remixes, all of which have become legends in sweaty basement clubs across the land. On top of this, James Ford, who with James Shaw formed SMD from the spoils of their original band Simian, has produced hit albums from Mystery Jets, Klaxons and the recently released Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys.

But forget all that now, because now it's their turn to pen the tunes. And by God don't they just know how to do it. This album has summer anthems scattered across its bedroom floor like a strangers clothes after last night's rave. Attack Decay Sustain Release refers to the modulation section found on most electronic musical equipment.

Sleep Deprivation is the track that gets proceedings underway, and even the most stubborn scenester would find their body moving to it's driving pulse. This track sounds like a ten year update of Insomnia by Faithless (boy didn't we need that). As Sleep Deprivation ebbs away, the clumsy beats and robotic voice of I Got This Down enter. Even sat at a desk with this album on iTunes it's hard to suppress the images of filthy clubs and glo-sticks.

Half of the tracks on this album are previously released singles, which narrowly escapes letting the album down. Previous singles It's The Beat, Hustle, Tits And Acid and I Believe make their own four-part conga line just three tracks into the album. This sort of gives the impression that they are playing it safe with the first half of the album, but these tracks are so intoxicating and infectious that it doesn't really matter.

These doubts are even firmly removed once the new material kicks in. Hotdog is one of the album highlights and is sure to become an instant hit if it gets released as a single. The thumping euphoria of Wooden comes next, as the track lengths cleverly get shorter towards the end of the album.

If there isn't a direct definition of a summer dance anthem, then penultimate track Love is it. It has it all: funky bass pieces, quivering synth melodies and the simple message that "love is all you need to know". Album closer Scott sounds like the most gentle hangover imaginable inside a massive, zero-gravity bubble.

The album's main strength is that it does not limit itself to very specific areas of dance/house music. Attack Decay Sustain Release lends itself to every area of the genre, which makes it highly accessible. I will be surprised if I don't end up having this album played at every party I go to this summer. It would seem that this is the summer of Simian Mobile Disco. 

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