Hot Natured are there too but, like Disclosure and Duke Dumont, they're not actively trying to destroy house music, simply take inspiration from the past and put their own modern, pop friendly spin on it, unleashing this world to your average Radio 1 listener. The "supergroup", consisting of Jamie Jones and Lee Foss, co-founders of the Hot Creations record label, as well as Ali Love and Luca C of Infinity Ink, have been one of the main proponents of this move to the mainstream, with sell out shows at Brixton Academy and a domination of radio airwaves over this past year. Their debut LP Different Sides of the Sun has all the tracks that soundtracked many a summer present and a few others that will definitely make an impact on dancefloors across the country but the rest of the album is disappointingly uninspired.
From the off - many of the first few tracks being the big singles - Different Sides of the Sun sounds like it was made by a bunch of guys enthusiastic for the old days of house as well as the new glossy sheen of the Balearic inspired house, which is always a great start. Latest single 'Isis' makes the first real impact which, oddly but intriguingly, sounds not too far from what a Bonobo/Metronomy collaboration might sound like. Sure, the lyrics aren't the most imaginative or exciting, but the beat and odd, punchy synths take you on its own carpet ride to the beaches of Ibiza.
'Reverse Skydiving', filled with Italo disco style synths and a catchy, yet minimalist groove continues this ride whilst hit single 'Benediction' takes things down a notch and settles you down by the pool for a more chilled out affair. It feels light and airy; lie back, close your eyes and feel the sea breeze and sun's rays wash over. Even the often neglected 'Forward Motion' makes such an impact in the context of the album, with its Detroit inspired repetitive pounding alongside those pop sensibilities, probably won't leave your head for a long while.
The problem is, once we get past those first few tracks that have been on every radio playlist under the sun albeit for good reason, there's not much else here. Apart from perhaps 'Detroit', which appears towards the end of the huge 15 track album with its down tempo, minimalist yet no less satisfying beat, nothing here sticks out.
Even a guest spot from electronic legend Roisin Murphy of Moloko fame doesn't really perk things up and we just get track after track of uninspiring house that all seems to bleed into one. It almost seems as though they thought they'd just ride it out with those big hits right at the start and hope the rest is OK, which makes it feel a tad lazy.
Disclosure's Settle suffered from the same problem but, luckily, that only lasted for a few tracks in the middle, picking up towards the end, whereas, here, it continues until the end from somewhere after the first third of the album. This isn't to say it's a bad album, it's just one that seems to rest on its laurels too much. The production is solid, as you would expect from a collective filled with such big names, but there's just not much new or exciting here to really make a big splash.
