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Album Review: Zombie Nation - Zombielicious

1999 was a heady year for gimmicky dance one hit wonders. Those of us not au fait with the world of techno assumed that 'Kernkraft 400' aka that Zombie Nation song was merely a frantic ode to our strange fascination with George Romero films.

Another electronic classic that got us in a tizzy, released just before the turn of the millennium was made infamous by a yellow puppet called Flat Eric (a hipper Parisian version of Gordon the Gopher). Mr Oizo's 'Flat Beat' came at a time before any of us were aware of Oizo's association with the ubiquitous cool of Ed Banger Records. Both songs opened the window, though not many of us decided to explore the euro soundscape any further.

A decade later Florian Senfter the DJ and producer behind the name Zombie Nation releases Zombielicious, his fourth full length. Zombielicious bridges the gap between the past (Fellow Countrymen and electro pioneers Kraftwerk and the classic Detroit sound) and the present crossover embrace of electronic music. In that it creates intelligent progressive dance music that is both aware of its roots and positively unafraid of the future.

Track one 'Mas De Todo' is a beast, full of grandiose fury, waves of beats and stonk that welcomes you like a meat tenderiser addresses a rump steak. Spacious clangs and intricate production are the hallmarks of Zombielicious catering to the casual listener whose only exposure to electro is when he or she flicks on the radio whilst driving through the quiet suburbs at night. Structured with the scaffolding of synths, 'the fact' struts with industrial bashing, evoking an empty factory coming to life.

There are no weaknesses on this album, which consistency gets you jerking about like a tourist with the Saigon scratch. Importantly it confirms Florian Senfter's status as a craftsman, a mad professor who has undoubtedly spent many dirty hours fiddling in his Munich studio. 'Seas of Grease' is immense, with some crazy vintage. It's insane, like pouring a bottle of clickity click 1966 Ramonet, Batard Montrachet all over the speakers. 'Forza' released as a single last year is pure funk. Closer 'Bass Kaput' spins all over the place, a battery of sinister nihilistic space age noise.

Zombie Nation have created a masterpiece, if Anton Chigurh (hello random pop culture reference 2008) asked me to call it and by heck I'm calling it early. I would say that Zombielicious is already a contender for album of the year, it's that good.

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