This is a review i was asked to do for the London Smoke paper, it eventually got cut down but you can enjoy the full version.
The
Filthy Dukes, comprised of Olly Dixon, Tim Lawton and Mark Ralph, have come a long way to release their debut album. Instead of the traditional 'form a band then gig until you get noticed' route, they have taken the path less traveled. Olly and Tim formed The Filthy Dukes originally as a DJ duo before going on to promote events (most notably their current night Kill 'Em All at
Fabric) and roping Mark in for his production experience on remixes for bands such as
Late Of The Pier,
The Maccabees and
The Rakes. It was only after this that they decided to form a band and produce their own material, Nonsense In The Dark is a true reflection of their experiences in getting to this point. They have created an album that's just as suited for the dancefloor as the bus or the bath tub, this crossover is largely thanks to the album's stellar cast of contributors. The most notable acts to lend their vocal talents to the album are Orlando Weeks of The Maccabees and Samuel Dust of Late Of The Pier but they are surrounded by a host of undiscovered talent and up-and-comers like
frYars,
Tommy Sparks and Secret Machines. These guests turn the Dukes' unique brand of exceptionally produced, dark, eighties inspired, synthesizer tracks into catchy songs with verse and chorus structures. The opening track 'This Rhythm' sparks into life with a chirruping synth line gently panning from side to side whilst layers build up and break down almost imperceptibly behind it, peppered with retro hand claps, live drumming and Samuel Dust's unnerving vocals about a girl that has undoubtedly been spotted at 5am on a Saturday morning in Fabric. 'What Happens Next' borrows one of
MSTRKRFT's basslines, sets the skronk to eleven and lets it loose on
The Foreign Islands, whereas, the title track does the exact opposite. The Filthy Dukes gently caress Orlando Weeks' hushed croon with tinkling, arpeggiated synth lines landing like powdery snow flakes on your warm ears. Elsewhere on the album vocals aren't required and the Dukes show that they can write a track with enough hooks to keep even a sober dancer going, 'You Better Stop' sounds like the kind of electro house that would top Fedde Le Grand's charts if you gave it a sexy video and a wailing diva, thankfully neither of these are present. At this point the monstrous first single 'Tupac Robot Club Rock' announces its arrival with an epic assault on electro rap, however,
Plastic Little are on hand to roll the beast over and tickle it's belly with playful rhymes about pissing in sinks and referring to their genitalia as ding-a-lings. The highlight of the album is 'Messages', an unashamed, buoyant, electro pop tune with tongue-in-cheek piano break and the energetic Tommy Sparks on vocal duties. The Filthy Dukes have collected together a range of styles, genres and artists and rather than throwing them in a mixing bowl have laid them out in neat rows, thought long and hard and matched them up with exactly what complements them best, like socks.
Nonsense In The Dark succeeds in blending dance and pop to form a surprisingly sensitive and emotional album where the darkness is present but judging by the lyrics, not nearly so much as the nonsense. It doesn't straddle genres, each song sits neatly in it's own genre content to be separated from the other tracks on the CD and yearning for nothing more than to be appreciated on its own merits. An extremely well thought out debut.
Filthy Dukes - Messages
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