Black Strobe - I'm A Man

Black Strobe, "I'm A Man (Black Strobe remix)" (YSI link) 320

Black Strobe, "I'm A Man (Audion's Donation mix)" (YSI link) 320

More Paris, more essential music. I really can't believe that I've never mentioned Black Strobe here; it ranks as one of my greatest shames, right up there with wearing cargo pants from Abercrombie & Fitch and dating someone from Jersey. Black Strobe is a three-person group from a little city called Paris, France. They describe themselves as "gay biker house music" - although that does not describe the current group's sound - longtime readers will know that I can think of no greater compliment for a music.

On their recent album, Burn Your Own Church, the band finally released an LP of music after years of amazing singles and EPs. I'll hopefully discuss the album this weekend, but I will say that I haven't been as repulsed by the recent transformation of the band to an industrial rock band as most. However, it's definitely a disappointment. The Black Strobe remix here isn't bad, adding massive bass to the original; it's just not easy getting over the whole, Arnaud Rebotini as Nick Cave thing and accepting that this isn't the old Black Strobe. Buy the album here or the 2 LP here.

Leave it to Matthew Dear to come to the rescue. He does it this time in the guise of Audion, which is normally his jackin', bangin' alias. This time, however, he drops a masterful, extended take on the first single, "I'm A Man" (a cover of a Bo Diddly song), eschewing his filthy, dirty sound for something beautiful, haunting and atmospheric. This is 6am end of rave, sun coming up bliss mixed with a dose of dread or darkness (listen to those organs that act like a bed throughout the song, both gorgeous and spooky). He's taken the original's schlocky rock sound and splashed a little acid on it, built the tension up with keys and drums, stretched it out to 11+ minutes and put together something many probably wanted to hear from Black Strobe themselves. It's just amazing, me stop talking now.