AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It EP

rating:4

Perhaps EP is a strong abbreviation for this release, coming in at three tracks, under 11 minutes and lead single (soon to be summer smash/dancefloor filler) You Know You Like It in prime track one positioning. Feels like a single to me, except that the two additional tracks; Just A Touch and Put Up Your Hands, are no b-side castoffs. No, they could be singles in their own right. I mean, this review is a little bit of a curve ball in its titling itself, so it€™s a bit rich for me to talk about mislabelling as an issue. This is a review, but it€™s an introducing article as much as it is a review. Initially these were going to feature in the most recent 6 things you should be listening to article, however on the day I realized things were a little guitar centric over there, and I didn€™t want these to get lost in the mix. So, for article aestheticism and for their own good they went on the subs bench. Though, look at them now, they€™ve got a starring role and a review? AlunaGeorge are a self proclaimed Hip Pop duo, and for want of a better description we€™ll settle on that for the time being. Though they may seem easy to pin down at first, it€™s quickly clear there€™s quite the melting pot bubbling underneath these tunes. The producer and singer combo (George Reid and Aluna Francis respectively) brings to mind your standard R&B set up classic, modern or otherwise. The delivery of sparse beats, grimy synths and the delicately, soulful vocal delivery has the air of old school garage post-dubstep. Yet, that€™s not it all covered; disco-house hand claps, funk grooves, glitch beats, sassy pop melody, progressive house atmosphere, clubland classic charm, hip hop soul, there€™s a little bit of everything somewhere in the mix. Not to mention the fact they bonded over Beyonce, Radiohead and €œweird€ sounds. What€™s not to like? Producer in the making George did a remix for Aluna€™s old band, My Toys Like Me, those aforementioned bonding points, mutual musical respect, the wonders of the internet and AlunaGeorge came to be. Since then they€™ve been building from the underground up, gradually getting noticed and a bit of buzz building, but with You Know You Like It now officially released it seems quite likely the culmination of this partnership will be coming to fruition this summer. The leadoff single has been causing quite the stir, its video hitting the hundreds of thousands(and counting) of views on YouTube, with a new number of unofficial remixes popping up along the way too. It€™s not hard to see why either. http://youtu.be/cmXZuv5BaHg A dramatic and atmospheric open immediately flips the switch into a glitch funk groove, with Aluna€™s instantly seductive voice. The track keeps busy but minimal, so much detail but with plenty of space in between and when the chorus hook drops there€™s no escape really €œyou know you like it, but it drives you insane.€ As mentioned though the title track might be the star of the show, the supporting cast are more than just extras. Just A Touch helps further display the pair€™s penchant for weird sounds, but also a real pop sensibility with the chorus featuring glitches, steel drum sounds, big pop synths, a short and sweet hook, not to mention the pre-chorus that builds to it nicely. Put Up Your Hands is the most experimental of the three tracks on offer with the most sparse, minimal beats underneath layers of cut & paste vocals, each with its own pitch shifted treatment and a slightly more explorative structure. However, when the chorus hits each time it€™s just as infectious. You Know You Like It will be the summer smash and dancefloor filler for some time to come, Just A Touch is modern pop majesty in the making, but Put Up Your Hands is the most musically impressive as it manages to stay sexy and be just as catchy whilst being the most experimental. They€™ve got a number of tracks floating around, that are well worth looking into, but this €˜EP€™ is the start of something big.

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