Popshop - The Distance Between Us LP      (Raygun)

Following on from last years superb debut album, ‘Salon Bizarre’, Swiss artist Popshop returns to Raygun for another full length techno pop adventure. Fans of the first excursion will feel right at home here – the trademark crunchy, bassy, ultra-synthetic groove that characterised that outing is back in full force here, refined and layered with an extra helping of twisted vocoder antics and edgy soundscapes. For those of you who missed that one, expect a unique blend of futuristic Detroit-y techno stylings and minimal clicky European house, mixed with very heavy and fucked up retro basslines and some slightly upsetting noises. This time round, things seem a little more dancefloor aimed, particularly earlier on with tracks like ‘The Bored Age’ and ‘It Takes a Long Way’ locking into repetitive (if still original and messed up) grooves from the offset. Things get more varied towards the middle of the work however, starting with the superb deep techno ballad ‘Paranoia City’, featuring Stella-Loreen, in one of two duets featured – the other being from Raygun’s own Larissa Kapp on ‘Slough Off’, another fine bouncy techno-pop tune with some extremely sweet vocals. In contrast, the uneasy, paranoid edge of tracks like ‘The Thrill of the Ear’ make for a good balance to the brighter side of the album, and all the pieces here are pretty much guaranteed to get the stiffest of dancefloors moving with their screwed up and ridiculously funky bass synthetics. Not so many notably outstanding tracks as the previous time perhaps, but this is still an excellent album for all who like their techno futuristic, twisted and funked up.

Reviewed by: Matt Chester

Score: 3/5

Go to the Raygun website.