Golden Boy--a.k.a. Stefan Altenburger--is a Swiss producer who performs in a mirrored suit. On his newest record for Emperor Norton, Or, he teams up with French chanteuse Miss Kittin--who's been getting a lot of attention for her collaborations with Felix Da Housecat, the Hacker, Detroit Grand Pubahs, and Chicks on Speed--and whose shtick is her deadpan "I'm bored, I'm coming off of coke and I don't give a fuck about anything" delivery.
Or starts out with Miss Kittin using a sultry voice to announce that the listener is the proud owner of the new Golden Boy record, offering possible uses for the release such as entertaining at friendly barbeques, five-star hotel lounges, and Kamasutra training. Listening to her, though, I just thought, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, sister." The song breaks into a kitschy, electro Casio-style beat reminiscent of Cibo Matto's "Know Your Chicken," but whereas Cibo Matto sounded committed to their vocals, Miss Kittin sounds like she just happened to be in the studio when hers were recorded.
Luckily, the next track, "It's Good for You to Meet People Like Us" pulled me back in. It's a full-on, deep tech house exploration that would definitely hook me up on the dance floor. As the record continues, it's the instrumental tracks that really stand out, allowing the listener to appreciate Altenburger's beats and analog synth noises, showcasing him as a serious producer capable of creating captivating, progressive music in the whole novelty electro revival genre. My favorite track is "Kuckucksuhr," an upbeat tech house track with fat, dirty keyboard riffs and filtered 303 lines that skip along, driving home the often overlooked bottom line--that electronic dance music is supposed to inspire you to get out and shake your shit.
I can honestly say, though, that it didn't take me long to get over Miss Kittin. I'm sure if I was coming back from some epic party and someone put on one of her tracks, or if a friend sent me a mysterious mix tape with her on it, her style would take on a whole new dynamic, but the problem is that all the Miss Kittin tracks rely on the same one-trick cheekiness, so much so that they start pushing into that Right Said Fred "I'm Too Sexy" territory. Plus, Or could have very well been split into two releases--one half without Kittin--in order to alleviate some of its schizophrenic tendencies.
My prediction is that Golden Boy will continue on to produce his dance-floor-inspired electronic explorations, and Miss Kittin will become as bored and tired as she sounds singing about "candies, toffees, lollies, parties, fashion and shoe collections." On the other hand, Golden Boy's mirrored suit is something that I'll just have to witness in person.
Golden Boy, Wed June 19, 10 pm-2 am, Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison, 324-8000, 21+, $8.
