- Although Cosmo Vitelli's I'm a Cliché label has steadily built a devoted following in its first five years of existence, Moments of a Crisis is a timely reminder of Vitelli's ability to unearth and showcase obscure electronic talent. Some of the artists featured on this two-disc compilation need no introduction—the likes of Yuksek, Runaway and Simian Mobile Disco feature prominently—but their releases on I'm A Cliche mostly came before they rose to prominence.
The compilation is divided into two sides—"Overtime," a selection from the label's back catalogue, and "Holidays," which contains new and previously unreleased material. There is a new track from US disco duo Runaway, whose piano-driven "Your League" is a worthy follow-up to 2008 hit "Brooklyn Club Jam." The offering from leftfield French producer Orestt is a sublime piece of broken-beat electronica, while Etienne Jaumet of Zombie Zombie chips in with some rumbling, downbeat electro on "Pour Nadia."
Then there's the new talent. "Blue Snake," the debut release from Canyons, is a true gem of deep, dubbed disco. The Australian duo have broken the mould of synth-pop that has dominated their country's electronic music landscape in recent years. They already have a second single due out on DFA and an album scheduled for 2010 with Modular. Canadian act Azari & III's anthemic "Hungry For The Power" will undoubtedly catapult them from obscurity to cult status. Like many before them on the imprint, you can't help but think they'll go onto bigger things, leading Vitelli to once again sit back, take a long drag from a cigarette and mouth "I told you so" in French.
The back catalogue, typically, doesn't disappoint. Yuksek's "Everywhere in Town," one of the Frenchman's first releases, is a fine example of the no-nonsense, maximal electro he is now synonymous with. Similarly, Simian Mobile Disco's "The Mighty Atom," first released as a 12-inch in 2004, brings back fond memories of James Ford and Jas Shaw's early output. There are two tracks from Cosmo himself ("Converted" and "Delayer"), and he has also written and/or produced the Bot'Ox and Bogus material on the compilation. Moments of a Crisis is much more than a celebration of the label's past achievements—it will ensure I'm A Cliche never flies under the radar again.
TracklistCD1: Overtime
01. Bot'Ox - Crashed Cadillac
02. Uncle O - Jutiper Menace
03. Entertainment - U1988
04. Runaway - Putting In The Overtime
05. Simian Mobile Disco - The Mighty Atom
06. Cosmo Vitelli - Converted
07. Yuksek - Everywhere In Town
08. Dirty 30 - Disco Apocalypto
09. Cosmo Vitelli - Converted
10. Runaway - Dead Dog Farm
CD2: Holidays
01. Electronicat - Purple and Green
02. The Fear - JMH (Mark Broom Edit)
03. Uncle O - Shaft in Russia
04. It's A Fine Line - Grease
05. Etienne Jaumet - Pour Nadia
06. Bot'Ox - Car Jacked
07. Orestt - Dx-Eq
08. Azari - Hungry (For The Power)
09. Canyons - Blue Snakes
10. Runaway - Your League
11. I Olic6 - Drown Dogs
12. Bogus - Holidays
13. Entertainment - Bley C