Hystereo – 'Corporate Crimewave' (Soma) Released 12/09/05

You’re tossing and turning in your sleep, your mind endlessly ticking over. You imagine that when DFA record label supremo James Murphy screams “Daft Punk is playing at ma house, ma house," you’re actually there. And as your REM ticks overtime, the almighty shindig is actually taking place at your house; all the hip kids dancing at your too-cool-for-school party. Things just get better as Blackstrobe and Royksopp turn up for guest DJ spots and the girl of your dreams floats by…DRRRRRIIINNNNGGGGG.

Well, Dublin duo Hystereo have taken that dream and made it reality. Merging steepling punk funk with guitar flecked beats and body warm electro, ‘Corporate Crimewave’ will rob you blind, stealing your ears and demanding your heart. Starting with the chiming ‘Opening Bell’ that sounds like Kraftwerk with Moog’s set to stun, ‘Deale’ is an Ibiza anthem in waiting, its filtered low end squelches and menacing half vocals making it a real finger of funk tune. ‘Validity Revision’ is where the real fun starts though. Darker than a manic depressive coal miner, it rampages through your head, wantonly stealing your senses with its Vital(ic) electro filth. Even better, after four minutes, an Axl Rose guitar riffs storms in and ransacks your brain.

Mercifully, there’s no let up yet as ‘Executive memo’ steals in, its Agoria style build up and menacing Alter-Ego yelps strong-arming you onto the dancefloor. It’s beauty lies in its simplicity, each hi-jacking melody given room to explore, each blindsiding beat allowed to blast you off your feet. But, after every great electronic squall, there’s the lull, the gorgeous, down-tempo soothers that rebuild dancefloor shattered pelvi. ‘Velocity’ is a great example with its vixen-eyed intent, it’s soft focus electro merely a prelude to round two. ‘Corporate Crimewave’ with its furiously frantic, buzzy beats, is Daft Punk after three days with no sleep being intravenously force fed techno while ‘Lets Do It’ is the sound of a Stratocaster being mangled by jaw to the floor beats.

By stealing from the best to create a snarling and melodic electro hybrid, Hystereo have delivered a rude awakening to dancefloors the world over.