I'm A Cliche France レコード& CD

Review: Ahead of the release of Bot'Ox's album Babylon By Car, I'm A Cliche indulges us in one last round of appetite whetting via this handsome clutch of "Blue Steel" remixes. The original remains one of the most captivating pop songs crafted by electronic producers of recent times, but there's plenty of ingenuity shown across the remixes present. Still Going opt for the pulsing overdramatic techno stomp, discarding with the distinctive melody and wrapping a small section of the vocals in swathes of driving synths. I:Cube delivers a typically glacial deep house version that makes smart usage of the reverberating metallic melody amidst a sea of tense string arrangements and menacing bass patterns. Para One and Tacteel retain the vocals and elements of the aforementioned melody which reverberate beneath a fizzling bass heavy post hip-hop arrangement. Recent Relish additions Hannulelauri, fresh from Aeroplane chart love, add some cavernous delay to Anna Jean's vocals and slip them beneath a singular key stab groove augmented by a hip hugging bassline.

Review: Following last year's "Last Train To Marzahn", the legendary walking talking Cliche (and one half Bot'Ox) Cosmo Vitelli goes solo across four blistering and far-ranging tracks. Floor-wise it's all about "When Suddenly" (an all-out late night warehouse demolition derby) and the pure epicity of "The Cemetery of Unsigned House" while the softer focus and dense melodic layers of both versions of "El Si Senor" provide a soothing narrative that acts as the consummate tonic. Pure eclecticism, as always from Benjamin Boguet.

Review: Docteur Satan is the latest crazed alias adopted by Krikor Kouchian, best known for his work as Krikor, Crackboy and no doubt a few other aliases over the years. We tend to think Kouchian is one of the most under-rated producers in France when it comes to thrillingly visceral dancefloor devastation and maybe this devilish debut Docteur Satan 12" will grant him the props he deserves. Issued through I'm A Cliche, this 12" finds Docteur Satan channelling his distinct brand of dancefloor horror through the lens of New Beat on three outstanding productions with "(666) 361-6794" a standout. Tel Aviv pair Red Axes add further devil to "Entity" for a fine remix.

Review: Everlast founder and label-head Orestt touches down on France's I'm A Cliche with a sultry four-track EP! The man hasn't released a great deal of music since his first EP way back in 2005 and instead has chosen to remain cautious over the amount of music he puts out. Branding his music electro would be an injustice because it contains much more than that. "L'age De La Glace", for instance, is a dreamy, beat-driven track with a gorgeous sequenced bassline and extraordinary sonic modelling - let's not forget Jonathan Kusuma's late-night remix - while "Delta" could fit somewhere in between DJ Stingray's output and just about any B-side on a post-punk 7" from the early 80's.

Review: Tel Aviv-based duo Red Axes seem obsessed with atmosphere. Throughout their short career, they've flit between styles, combining minimal-influenced house and techno excursions with more left-of-centre downtempo moments, all the while retaining a smoky, late night feel to their productions. Ballad of The Ice, their debut album, takes a slightly different approach, mixing murky downtempo sounds with heavy new wave, post-punk, goth-rock and leftfield pop influences. It's a mixture that more often than not pays dividends, delivering intoxicating compositions that bristle with moody early morning charm. Amongst the Cabaret Voltaire, Joy Division and Section 25 influences, you'll also find a superbly spooky cover of Bauhaus's "Bela Lugosi's Dead", which vies with the stomping "Head Like Glass" for "best track" honours.

Review: Tel Aviv's Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi have been making music together under the name Red Axes for four years now, and freeform blend of electronic expressionism has seen them release on everything from Klasse Recordings to Hivern Discs. This month they return to the I'm A Cliche imprint, and they've conjured four mystical dance tunes that fall on the edges of disco. "Shem" is an ominous ballad made of dreary electronics and a tick-tock percussion, and "Oh Key" is similarly clown-like in its choices of odd sonics - a truly singular piece of instrumentation. "Sweet John Gang" is a nu-school boogie kind of monster, whereas "More More & More" is a fuzzy house jam with a delicious blend of dubby melodies. Out there tunes!

Review: Last year's Ballad of the Ice LP for I'm A Cliche seemed to open quite a few doors for Tel Aviv pair Dori Sadovnik & Niv Arzi with Red Axes appearances on Kompakt, Highlife, and Relish. The commencement of a new Shem series of records brings the Red Axes back to Cosmo Vitelli's label with a remit being tracks geared towards the dancefloor but always retaining the one-of-a-kind approach that it distils in all its productions. The four tracks on Volume 1 set the tone nicely, be it the Delia Derbyshire does cavernous acid house vibes of "Na Da" or the spectral "Balma" which features the Portuguese crooner Abrao. Best of all however is the effervescent jack track "Nu" which really exemplifies the talent of Red Axes to make club-ready tracks out of organic elements.

Review: Paris mainstay Cosmo Vitelli is no stranger to a bit of house and disco. Having released his debut album on Etienne De Crecy's Solid label, the man has a solid background complete with all the right kind of production skills to burn the dance floor good and proper. In more recent years, Vitelli's focus has been the I'm A Cliche label, where he returns to now with four pumping dance locomotives in a disco sort of shade, and "A Cruel Story" opens the doors to synthy cyber-world that evolves ever so nicely into the equally mesmeric and almost sinister melodies of "Ketamine Karaoke". On the B-side, "Chiens De L'enfer" is fuzzier, more in a house mood, and guided by a steely bassline, but the moment of truth comes from legend I:Cube's remix of "A Cruel Story" - a contained and dubbed-out drum groove with a futuristic sort of touch that only the king of French house can deliver.