Artist: Signal Août 42
Title: Inspiration
Genre: EBM
Release Date: 30th August 2013
Label: Out of Line Music
Album Review
SIGNAL AOUT 42 (SA42) is the electro/ EBM project of Belgian artist Jacky Meurisse. Formed in 1981, SA42 created a mix of electro and EBM with a new beat touch and had a number of hits, like ‘Submarine Dance’ or ‘Pleasure and Crime’. Jacky was also involved in AMNESIA and other dance acts. ‘Inspiration’ is a new album released by Out Of Line. It is called ‘Inspiration’ because it includes original songs which are devoted to Meurisse's major inspiration sources. Those tribute songs are composed “in the style of”. For instance, Meurisse put himself in Frank Tovey's shoes to compose ‘Sex Gadget’. The result is a kinky, slightly new-beat composition reminiscent of FAD GADGET of course but also of LEAETHER STRIP.
In general, the references to the inspiration sources are subtle; it's like a game for the listener to find out. You want to play the game? On ‘Judgement Day’, you think of a Belgian EBM band and indeed there is something of Dirk Da Davo in the synths. Have you found out? In spite of the inspiration, the songs are fully original and good compositions! ‘A Kind of Joy’ is a tribute to a band from Manchester, especially in the bass and the synth. Are you following me? But again, the reference is subtle and the song stands on its own as a classic. The same for ‘Oxygen’: it hints at a famous French synth pioneer but is mostly a really good song about our “modern toxic paradise”. ‘Light of Terror’ is also easy to identify with the vocoder sounds, the robotic rhythms and the references to the Hiroshima bombing ('Little Boy", the name of the bomb)...
The following song, ‘Freundschaft’ is of course in the style of a famous German band, and with lyrics in German! A dance-floor hit! ‘B.Y.R.’ (Black Yellow Red) has a new-beat/ dance feel from the late 80's. The beat and the sound effects made me think of a Swiss band and the reference was confirmed to me by Jacky Meurisse himself. On ‘Cabaret’, the title, the hypnotic bass and drums should guide you directly to the reference while ‘Summer '79’ evokes the disco period, with its Pop Corn melody.
In a nutshell: it's an ass-kicking collection of great songs, multi-layered, energetic and perfectly produced. It offers quite a number of hits! A catchy journey through the history of electronic music with a clear touch of modernity...
SIGNAL AOUT 42 will play at the “3rd Out Of Line Weekender” on 28-30 March 2014. The band will also release a new version '28 years after' of their hit ‘Pleasure And Crime’.
Competition!!
The first reader who sends the list of the 10 album tracks with each reference artist/ band (e.g., ‘Sex Gadget’ – reference: Fad Gadget,...) will win a free T-shirt of SA42 (XXL for men or XL for girls). Send an email to
Tracklist
01. Judgement Day
02. Race Of The Human Race
03. Sex Gadget
04. A Kind Of Joy
05. Oxygen
06. Light Of Terror
07. Freundschaft
08. B.Y.R.
09. Cabaret
10. Summer '79
Line-up
Jacky Meurisse: composition, vocals, synths, programming
Additional voices on 'Cabaret': Tcheleskov Ivanovitch (Grandchaos)
Lyrics of ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Judgement Day’ by Nicolas Delbarre (Neutral Lies)
Websites
http://signalaout42.wix.com/sa42 / https://www.facebook.com/pages/Signal-Aout-42-SA42-Official/193170830706573
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
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