Ford And Lopatin - Channel Pressure

Very much excited about the arrival of this album. Ford & Lopatin (formally GAMES before the lawyers stepped in) are a MIDI obsessed, synth pop generating duo consisting of Joel Ford (formally of Tigercity) and Daniel Lopatin (Oneothrix Point Never), two school buddies whose affinity with the pioneers of electronic pop, jazz fusion, synthesizers and the 'Berlin School' of cosmic/space disco has led them to collaborate ideas and regroup to realise their childhood musical dreams. 'Channel Pressure' takes the themes and principles of high end studio music circa 1983/4 and brings it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. We're talking Herbie Hancock, Jan Hammer, Vangelis, Devo, Scritti Politti, Art Of Noise, Giorgio Moroder etc (the list goes forever and includes all sorts of producers and engineers whose relative wealth meant they could get their hands on the latest advances in production technology). The result is a colourful an inventive reinterpretation of a sound that I hold dear from my childhood years and that resonates throughout much of modern pop and underground music today.  These guys are obviously power nerds with an obsessive eye for detail yet they create music that has the ability to loosen even the stiffest of music listeners limbs. In many ways it harks back to the lavish productions you might associate with Kenny Loggins and the yacht rock crowd yet it works so much better knowing that these guys are just beardy dudes with a history of making relatively obscure underground music. Too many highlights to start chatting about individual tracks (i also need more time to absorb due to this being my first listen) but just trust me when I say this is a solid album that surpasses much of what is considered electronic music in 2011, mainly because it feels authentic and fun. It's a celebration of the technological advances and the imagination of the users who choose to abandon their rock instruments and take a chance on the machines. If you enjoyed the GAMES EP and the amazing 'Emergency Room' track (best take on Scritti Politti's pop era ever) that's been doing the rounds then you'll undoubtedly need this for your collection. Also worth noting that Autre Ne Veut guests on a couple of tracks and the guitar playing is princetastic! Only gripe, no equipment list in the sleeve-notes. I got some good tip-offs last time around.