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Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours

06th May 2008 | by Aidan Williamson

"A DJ is not a musician!" cry hundreds of people across the globe. So popular was the phrase, you can even see it emblazoned upon T-shirts with a probable ratio of 7,000:1 compared to Paris Hilton's "That's Hot!" shirts.

Cut Copy's founding member Dan Whitford seeks to change all this negativity, hopefully forever consigning people like Tim Westwood to a future of presenting “How Banging Is Your House?” on 'Reality TV 178'. With 2004's "Bright Like Neon Love", Whitford set out to write a classic dancefloor album which sought to meld the 80's and the 00's with the experimental nature of electro.

Two years after starting the project, a drummer and guitarist were brought into the fray. Thus, the DJ became a musician.

Although not entirely successful first time around, Cut Copy have brought her round for another shot, much like a certain motorcyclist in Kensington should of done back in '99.

"Feel the Love" kicks off with vision more firmly in mind as the stomperiffic bass-snare rhythm (there's a reason it's a classic) pounds into a flowing chorus which sends out a time-travelling winch arm capable of snaffling the very best basslines from the 80's disco era (after first obliterating Calvin Harris' grubby mitts from them) and then easing them in with such tender subtlety that you'll find your digits causing friction against your cranium in ponderance as to how this artful transition came about.

Conversely, tracks such as "Unforgettable Season" eschew the laid back disco-grooves in favour of dishing out enough high-concentration amp-up juice to keep the kittens (who secretly power nuclear reactors when fission fuel has been depleted) going for months.

An inherent confidence fills the entirety of ">In Ghost Colours", so much so that it powers on without letup for it's fifty minute runtime, with each track being skilfully morphed into the next, overcoming such meagre obstacles as tempo change, key change, and mood change with breathtaking ease. Similarly, the ambient-style transitions which pepper the album after every two or three songs are also commendable in their prowess.

On their sophomore album, this Australian trio have clearly mastered the combination of IDM with the energy of indie-rock and the full-on glee of 80's disco. Startlingly thick basslines never weigh down this light and ethereal accomplishment in genre experimentation.