DIGITALISM, LONDON KCLSU


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This 'dance' music resurgence is great, isn't it? Not washed-out, 'love rhymes with dove' dance music - but d-a-n-c-e music - music you can really dance to! Like it or not, nu rave has paved the way for techno and house to brush the dust off their glowsticks and head back to the clubs where they belong. Digitalism are one of the spearheads and these two Germans with an ear for a good riff know how to party.

Tonight's sellout crowd is testament to this; the trendies queue up right down the street in the driving rain, blissfully unaware of the England football team's best efforts to ruin the night for everyone, everywhere (except in Croatia).

The crowd lurch back and forth, index-fingers held aloft and floppy fringes swinging away, as Digitalism deliver a set of modern classics. From behind their hurriedly knocked together 'DJ stand' (it looks like something out of a cooking demo at a village fete) Digitalism hit the ground running playing single 'Pogo' two songs in, closely followed by album title track 'Idealistic'.

Frustratingly, there is very little room to shake your thing. As soon as we secure some space to put our 'moves' into practice the next wave of people hankering for a better view cramp our style.

Something is amiss on stage too. Digitalism give it some, but not all. Jens Moelle, a sort of Gareth-from-The-Office-with-a-smile type announces, in classic broken English, "I have a bit of cold and so you will have to help me to make the party!" but his vocals suffer. His partner Ismail Tuefecki does his best to make up the deficit, batting his drum like a dwarf in a Gunter Grass novel, but it's not quite enough.

After threatening to peak too early they play out with strong album highlights 'Zdarlight' and the euphoric 'Jupiter Room' confirming they have got the tunes. But they are tired and struggle to entertain with their knob twiddling performance. Tonight would have been a fantastic club night, but as a gig it fell some way short.

A. HUMAN, METROCLUB


Read the article on channel 4 music here...

Formed through disillusioned work chat in a Clerkenwell boozer A.Human look every part the 20-something Londoners: four crisp-fringed boys and one cute girl, all dressed in funereal black like some sort of trendy wake.

A broody opener gives way to the instantly catchy, Inspiral Carpets-esque single 'Horse With No Name' and suddenly the band come alive. The blips and beeps that combine with the riffs are given extra spice by frontman Dave Human's Ian Curtis meets Brandon Flowers voice. Dave is a sexy geek. Fact.

His act is pure American preacher: all righteous indignation and fiery eyes. Strangely-named guitarist Mellay Human has a touch of a young Elvis about him and while he sings answers to Dave's sermon an eager crowd begins to move.

"Follow me! Follow me!" yells the sexy geek and judging by the eager eyes watching him you begin to think people would literally follow him up the road if he started walking.

And why not? The goth glitchy disco outfit are playing an assured set and Dave displays a winning sense of humour announcing: "I'm gonna be bigger than Jean Claude Van Damme!"

He then adds: "Soon it'll be Friday, but today is only Monday, and they say that you'll be OK, but they don't realise you've given up anyway." Cue the best song about the frustrations of working 9 to 5 since Dolly Parton plus Dave dancing with the nearest worshipping girl.

All too soon we are played out with a soulful number bemoaning the post-postmodern blues and the night is over. No need for encores, just sit back and let it sink in.

A.Human have got some wind in their black sails at the moment and with an album out in January we think 2008 could be their year.