Black Strobe - Me And Madonna

IMHO quite simply the best track yet produced, Me & Madonna by Black Strobe is a deep electro/disco track similar in style to their earlier track Innerstrings. The strings are still there, rising and falling in the backing tune, but now there's a full orchestra of synths, all adding different tunes to the mix. I find this is one of the rare tracks which can get away with having multiple tunes, as they all seem to fit perfectly. Even the lyrics, if mildly nonsensical, fit over the top nicely, with a duet between Rebotini and Parisian DJ Jennifer Cardini. The thick bassline and various light tunes cater for every level of the sound spectrum, from stringed treble highs to deep bass lows, with several others between. The only letdowns are the over-clubby beat and that some of the better tunes only peep in for a few bars and disappear, swamped by the other more dominant main tune.

The Two Fairlight Bitches version of Me & Madonna by Smagghe and Ewan Pearson is again reminiscent of Innerstrings, but this time Smagghe's No Shuffle Mix. The deep house sound is swapped for a lighter electro tune, similar in style to Pearson's other mixes, for example Goldfrapp's 'Train'. It lacks the lyrics of the original, but the overall sound and tempo is too different for them to fit well. Rather than grooving, this mix is designed for dancing, and the tune is a lot more simple, but with more variation through the track. The strings still remain, but twisted and electrofied to provide suitable backing to the main electronics, which buzzes its way through an effects-aided melody with an impressive break in the middle.

Fitting Together rather ironically doesn't really fit with the theme of either mix of Me & Madonna, being I now realise a pointer to their future sound. It begins with a seemingly random chorus of bleeps, and eventually evolves into a dubby electronic monster. It's quite simple and mildly nondescript, as I feel their newer music is. That doesn't mean it isn't a good track though, just a different style. Fitting Together was the track that attracted a lot of people to this single, the variety of the two sides means it appeals to lovers of 2 different styles, a clever move.

I highly recommend this single, even though it's 12" only, I bought a player just for this. :P Both sides are good in their own way, yet very different styles, worth a buy for fans of Innerstrings or Bitter Sweet Girl both.