Telepathe
Dance Mother

5
...according to our Brian on 09 February 2010.

I've got one more review to do but it's my favorite album of the year so far, hence it's up the top of my stack It's 'Dance Mother' by NY ladies Telepathe and i'm in throes of delight! Never have fizzing, wonky synths, clickety off-beats and swirling, dreamy chanting vocals filtered so beautifully into my conscious mind. Their use of tribal-esque & light grime/garage beats is subtle yet incredibly effective, layered waves of woozy keys & magical effects zinging off all over the shop like tiny fireworks, the vocals sweet, dreamy & sassy, It's the perfect melting pot of enigmatic early 80's synth pop, electronic shoegaze melodies with hints later in the record of mid to late period Cocteau Twins all brought into the future with some truly creative breaks & starkissed harmonies! All tied up in a neat bundle by way of Dave Sitek's cavernous, crisp & warm production. Truly the freshest cookies on the stall that is 2009, It's an absolute delight that gets better & better with each listen. They make my head spin. Perfect pop! CD only.....

Love this record? Hate it? Tell us.

What their label says...

TRACKLISTING: 1. So Fine 2. Chrome's On It 3. Devil's Trident 4. In Your Line 5. Lights Go Down 6. Can't Stand It 7. Michael 8. Trilogy: Breath of Life, Crimes and Killings, Threads and Knives
9. Drugged

OVERVIEW: Telepathe's debut full-length album, Dance Mother, will be released on January 26th on V2/Cooperative Music. Dance Mother sees Melissa Livaudais and Busy Gangnes, the creative pairing at the heart of Telepathe, move away from the jam band aesthetic of their previous groups, and further develop the layered, synthetic sound they began exploring on their Social Registry EP, "Farewell Forest". Killer melodies, trance-inducing loops, drum-machine-driven experimentation, and Melissa and Busy's haunting vocal interplay are Telepathe’s hallmarks.

Telepathe began the process of recording Dance Mother at Stay Gold Studios with TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek in December 2007. What were at that point just the beginnings of songs, comprised of analog synths, rudimentary beats, shards of guitars and their trademark off kilter vocal harmonies, soon gestated into the epic, accomplished collection that make up the final album. Access to Sitek's vintage synthesizer collection, combined with deep electronic sub-bass lines influenced by hours of listening to dub-step, gave the duo's homemade music making a new sonic purity and gave them the confidence and the stylistic singularity to transcend genres. The stuttering hip hop beats of "Chrome's On It", the funereal pop of "Can't Stand It", and the dark, driving electro pop of "So Fine" all link together by their staggering vocal melodies and intensely personal lyrics. Additionally, TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone and !!!'s Shannon Funchess provide guest vocals.
Finally completed in September 2008, after a period in which Telepathe have travelled to Europe, based upon word of mouth alone, this long awaited full-length debut is a stunning achievement presenting dark but forward-thinking hybrid pop music for the next generation.
Telepathe's "Chrome's On It" EP, featuring remixes by Mad Decent, The Mae Shi, Free Blood (ex-!!!), Frankmusik and Bobby Evans (Brother Reade) was released earlier this month on IAMSOUND.  They also released a critically acclaimed 7” of ‘Devil’s Trident’ on London’s key taste maker label Merok.  The band has been on the road as part of the Mad Decent tour with Diplo, Abe Vigoda and Boy 8-Bit.