Egyptian Lover (45-year-old producer/vocalist Greg
Broussard) was one of the original electro figures out of Los
Angeles. His productions hark back to that time (the mid ’80s) when
electro funk was as stiff as a German electrician’s posture and all
vocals by law had to sound as if the singers’ larynxes and uvulas were
composed of scrap metal. Obviously, Kraftwerk‘s beat
programming, alternately sumptuous and plinky synth textures, and
grandiose symphonic arrangements exerted a huge influence on American
electro, and Egyptian Lover’s work is no exception. But EL injected
a slick sensuality into electro’s cold-wired chassis with
husky-voiced and understatedly over-the-top come-ons. And he wasn’t
above deploying that archetypal Egyptian melody (you know the
one) into a track (see “Egypt Egypt”).
It’s probable Egyptian Lover will push those nostalgia buttons you
know you want nudged, so expect club fixtures like “I Need a Freak,”
“Egypt, Egypt,” “Freaky DJ,” and other tracks from 1984’s On the
Nile and 1986’s One Track Mind. Later standout Egyptian
Lover tracks like “Keep It Hot” and “The 808” don’t break new ground,
but they stomp on old territory with panache.
* * *
A collaboration between ex-Funkstörung member Chris De
Luca and Phon.o (Carsten Aermes), CLP are
generators of bold-faced, neon-lit electro funk, booty tech, and
Euro-crunk. (Decibel Fest booked them to headline the Headfuk
showcase in 2007, but Canadian officials rejected De Luca at the
border, so Phon.o performed solo.) The German twosome’s lofty
sound-design specs reflect their years toiling in the IDM trenches.
CLP’s party-half-naked rhythmic thrusts coupled with their gear-nerd
textures indicate that Decibel (which is organizing this event with
Obese Productions and Rocket Science) is, contrary to
some observers, not strictly about electronic music’s more cerebral
facets.
CLP’s debut album, Supercontinental (Shitkatapult),
features MC cameos on nearly every track. On this disc, the duo draw in
broad, demonstrative strokes rather than induce chin stroking. A track
like “Party Hardy,” with bawdy spittin’ from Yo! Majesty, is
pure libido-stoking hustle and bustle. Ditto for the slightly more
understated electro-house number “Insatiable,” with lascivious verses
from White Gold Princess. “Rockin’ Wiz Us,” with Oakland
underground-rap stalwarts Zion I, by contrast, is laced with an
ominously wobbly bass line and a rippling little horn snippet. “Putcha
Handz Up” features the tight, swift verbals of female dynamo
Rayzaflo, on whom you should keep close tabs.
If CLP aren’t electro’s future, they sure do brighten its
present.
CLP perform Thurs April 2 with PrEssHa, Noisemaker, Produkt at
Nectar, 9 pm, $8, 21+; Egyptian Lover performs Sat April 4 with Jamie
Jupiter, Truckasauras, DJ Sean Cee at Chop Suey, 9 pm, $13 adv/$16 DOS,
21+.
