James Ford and Jas Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco have managed to wrangle their way from the top of the pop electronic roster, through the wilderness of the sophomore slump (a reality caused by too many elevated hipster expectations anyhow) and now right back to the forefront of the dance music subculture. That probably has quite a lot to do with their engaging live performances, as in this 99 Sudbury gig over in Toronto’s Queen West neighbourhood.
Grabbing cover articles on top dance titles and getting high praise from critics for their unabashed experimental approach to staying strong in the genre, don’t ever count these guys out. And if you head down to one of their gigs it will become apparent tout suite that these guys are fully invested in what they’re doing. The knobs and buttons they are twisting and punching are so much more than on and off switches. Sliders are portals to new galaxies and LFOs regulate just how fast the journey will go. Just be careful you don’t get swept too far down the rabbit’s hole.
After all, their latest effort “Unpatterns” is sheer bliss, that is if you enjoy storytelling electric gagets, infectious thematic builds and challenging sequences. Check it out for yourself and decide.
