I heard of Gang Gang Dance for the first time today through the Warp Records YouTube page but soon realised their first LP ‘Fusetron’ was released in 2004 and they have been firmly embedded in the New York underground for the past decade. Silly me for thinking I had found a new act, but it was a worthy find all the same.
Gang Gang Dance are a culmination of vast influences and genres taking d’n'b, rap, italo, pop, classical, oriental, techno and dubstep and spitting them out in in a fusion of warped, underground, electo-clash industrial sounds and two-step, melodies that make ‘The Knife’ sound like mainstream pop. Their new album ‘St. Dymphna’ (-the patron saint of outsiders) which was released on 20th October pushes the guild on the all too familiar formulaic structure that many dance music artists athere to, and encapsulates what can be achieved by exercising true thought and imagination. ‘House Jam’ is the stand out single for me, where the lead vocalists voice floats beautifully over a landscape of transcontinental sounds taking you on a journey encapsulating traditional cultural tribal rythms and contemporary electronic synths and stabs. Comparable to Bjork, Kate Bush and The Knife, Gang Gang Dance will always undercut the attention of the mainstream masses but are sure to bring much reward to the ears of the discerned listener. Enjoy.
