DFA
Former Six Finger Satellite guitarist goes back to the future of dance music.
On his latest album John MacLean (a.k.a. The Juan McLean) has moved even further into the esthetic territory of his label boss and frequent collaborator James Murphy (a.k.a. LCD Soundsytem). This in turn invites comparisons to Murphy’s obvious inspirations — Daft Punk Giorgo Moroder and Station To Station -era David Bowie.
Fortunately The Future Will Come is far more than simple pastiche. With Nancy Whang’s diva vocals it offers a fun and fresh reimagining of the 1990s dance-pop brought to the Canadian masses by MuchMusic’s Electric Circus . The sound is somewhat chintzy in places but this suits the esthetic with the calculating MacLean perhaps injecting a self-deprecating statement on the vapidity of his genre.
Such over-analysis is probably missing the point entirely though. With tracks as smashing as “Tonight” “Accusations” or the 13-minute closer “Happy House” (originally a dance-floor filling single in 2008) it’s best just to surrender your brain and let your body take over.
