Send "Little Dragon " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Yahoo |
 Electronica artists generally end up falling into two distinct camps: at one end of the spectrum there's austere, mood-driven abstraction to engage or baffle the connoisseurs of the genre; at the other, the hook-heavy, machine-driven pop thrills of say, La Roux or Little Boots - its fertile middle ground so often shamefully neglected. When exploited by the likes of Karin Andersson Dreijer and partner Olof Dreijer as The Knife for example, it makes for delightfully twisted pop. And Gothenburg four-piece Little Dragon pull off a similarly dexterous feat with their second album "Machine Dreams", although one rooted less in the frosty timbres beloved of Schneider & Schneider, more the glossy lick of '80s soul funk and the strut and shimmy of peaktime Prince.Indeed, listening to "Looking Glass", which borrows snappy snares, synthesised horn stabs and even a pitch-bend perfect keyboard solo from his early output with such aplomb, it's hard not to visualise The Purple One high-kicking and twirling around the studio as it plays. And there are other less explicit '80s synth-pop references too. "Feather" is a lithe, almost serpentine melody, coiling around a prodding "West End Girls" style bass line, "Swimming" kicks off with a punchy, strutting groove redolent of a juiced-up "Material Girl" and "Fortune" somehow snaffles the drum track from any given power ballad of the era, albeit one topped off with the kind of twinkling synths you'd expect of Warp staples Plaid or Boards Of Canada....full text |
| Drownedinsound |
| In a year where La Roux and Little Boots have done their darndest to turn electro-pop into a dirty phrase, Little Dragon offer something that little bit different with second album Machine Dreams. Yes, the influences are obvious. Jarring Eighties synths, sultry R&B vocals, groove-laden rhythm section – a la mode is the phrase that comes to mind. It’s no wonder names like Prince, Lykke Li and The Knife are banded around haphazardly. While it may sound like a familiar recipe, there are fresh treats to be had here. Tracks like ‘My Step’, ‘Feather’ and ‘Blinking Pigs’ have that unique ability to transcend seasonal musical folly, there's nothing 'now' or 'then' about them - you can listen to them any time, anywhere, any weather and still be pretty pleased. Those influences - or at least the Prince angle - also bring one thing to mind: sex. I’ll make a valid attempt from hereon in not to descend into some sleazy FHM back page snippet, but you have to admit, La Roux, Little Boots - they don't make sexy music. Machine Dreams, on the otherhand, has some fucking sexy moments. Those previously mentioned highlights have the sort of pace that would keep a young Tom Jones on his toes (had he had the odd dalliance with space disco infused pop). You may find them rather slight, fleeting pleasures, but that's what many sexual experiences are. Momentary....full text |
| Thephoenix |
| Sometime in the not too distant future, when the world is divided into those who believed in the singularity and those who didn't (and were subsequently replaced by something sleek, compliant, and designed in Cupertino, California), we can finally put to rest the endless speculation regarding what machine music will sound like. Until then, we can always tide ourselves over with little platters like this one, from a spry outfit based in Göteborg, Sweden, but fronted by a honey-and-gravel-voiced Japanese woman. As little rhythmic pitter-patters tickle your cochleae and Numan-esque synths fart in your general direction, you are gently ushered into a soundscape that is vaguely dancy but probably better suited as the soundtrack to sitting on (or in) minimalist furniture while having cold, expensive drinks served to you. The frantic glissando of "Blinking Pigs" and the Sadé-lite (if such a thing is possible) of "Thunder Love" are beguiling, especially in the subtle way that Yukimi Nagato's vocal clicks intersect with the synthetic whirring all about....full text |
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