Future Sound Of London, The - Papua New Guinea Translations

SYSTEM-J, May 03, 2006

The year is 2001. The place is London. The sound is very new. After four years absent from the frontline, The Future Sound of London are set to return. A lot has happened since the nihilistic robotic bleep-thrash of We Have Explosive had hit the electronica wave of 1997 and charted well. The FSOL had spent five years trying to remove their music from the Techno shelf of the music shop, only for Virgins marketing department to jump on the first mintable record theyd made in years and throw them back to square one.

The new FSOL is different. The 1970s are referenced. Pink Floyd references are made. Music journalists everywhere scratch their heads. The FSOL have been reborn as a strange, 21st Century prog-rock act. Between the full-on change of The Isness in 2002 and the haunting sampledelica electronic-ambient of Dead Cities there needs to be a acclimatising record. Enter Papua New Guinea: still their most loved track and their greatest moment. The concept is simple: ever since Papua, every FSOL single has been a mini-album all to itself, with the extensive paths of each track explored. Papua New Guinea is the only notable FSOL single to be released in lowly remix-tagged-on format. So the Future Sound of London will ready the world for their new incarnation with the first "pure" edition of Papua New Guinea.

Is it any good? It starts off magnificently. The 12" mix of Papua is as masterful as ever: rhythm, soul and atmosphere meld in perfect amounts. The Papsico Translation follows up nicely, retaining the idyllic tropical vibe. The dancefloor beats are dropped in favour of gorgeous bass-guitar and endless layers of weightless synths. The Lovers keep the momentum going with lovely retro guitar flicks and bongos, as well as an extensive guitar solo to close on.

However, from then onwards it rapidly goes downhill into self-indulgence. The lavish production and high concept arent backed up by any musical quality. Long before the end you get the biting impression that the FSOL didnt have the ideas to justify this album as an entity. Its a cool idea that doesnt deserve a 45 minute mega-EP to exhaust. At the end of the day, Papua New Guinea was so close to perfection that theres only so much you can do with it of any worth, and after years of seeing producers piggy-back the tracks classic status to a cheap buck, it turns out that The FSOL are just as guilty.

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