| The
Review |
Synth pioneer and founding member/original singer of
New Romantic gods ULTRAVOX returns with another collaboration
with techno dj Louis Gordon, making 2006 his most productive
year to date. No less than four albums have seen the light
of day(flashy electroclash 'FROM TRASH', a follow-up, SIDEWAYS,
and an instrumental album, TINY COLOUR MOVIES). For 'LIVE
FROM A ROOM AS BIG AS A CITY', recorded live at Longwave rehearsal
rooms in June, Foxx engages his current and distant past with
this set of reworked and reimagined tunes which bristle with
electro sheen and pulse-rhythm mayhem. It goes to show how
ahead of the pack John Foxx and his Ultravox cohorts were
at the onset of the synthpop scene back in the day. The old
tracks still sound like the future, and the newer ones are
cutting edge techno which sound current and old school at
the same time, without sounding too retro.
Echoing the formula from the pair's OMNIDELIC EXOTOUR
from the late 90's, this disc features no trace of audience
whatsoever, but nor does it repeat any track from the previous
live disc. What we get here is a whole new slew of beat-heavy,
Kraftwerk-meets-acid house, minimalist techno. 'LIVE FROM
A ROOM...' could have benefitted more as a double disc set,
but no complaints as to the choice of set. SEX VIDEO, BROKEN
FURNITURE and the sublime ULTRAVIOLET/INFRA-RED from 2003's
CRASH & BURN will have you tracking that album down, while
a reworked NIGHTLIFE from 2001's THE PLEASURE OF ELECTRICITY
maintains the urban motif with a rather reworked structure
of the melody. MAKING MOVIES is a welcome rarity from a 2003
EP of extra tracks which goes through a few textural changes.
Of earlier material, no less than six tracks from Foxx'
first solo effort- the stark, icy, isolated proto-techno METAMATIC(1980)-
appear. These aren't as reworked as some of the other material
on this disc, I suppose they were perfect as they were in
their original arrangements, though Foxx provides maybe too
much of a good thing by providing 55% of the original METAMATIC
album here with the robotic METAL BEAT, minor hits NO ONE
DRIVING and UNDERPASS, TOUCH & GO(which uses the same structure
as Ultravox' MR. X that same year), HE's A LIQUID and PLAZA.
No complaints there. Oddly enough, nothing from 1981's excellent
'THE GARDEN', and as mentioned, nothing from 1997's SHIFTING
CITY or anything that appeared on EXOTOUR.
But the sole Ultravox track here, MY SEX, is worth the
price of the disc alone- a mesmerizing electronic masterpiece
which extends itself into an electroclash masterpiece. A testament
to Foxx' (and the original Ultravox') validity as a groundbreaking
artist who is constantly being namechecked by hosts of younger
electro artists who cite him as a major influence. Foxx disappeared
in the mid 80's, only to return over a decade later and hasn't
let up since. Anyone into Foxx, Ultravox, 80's New Romantics,
techno with more to offer than repetitive beats or edgey synth
music of today should check out this duo.
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