- The comically brief review Jacob Wright penned for RA last year of Marc Antona's debut Mobilee release may have seemed like it was drawn up in less time than it took to listen to the three tracks, but as a fellow writer I can commiserate. I've sat and listened to Simple Venus, released in late October, since it was put out and still am struggling to say much of anything about it.
No one benefits from journalistic handwringing, least of all the reader, but "Simple Venus"'s bulbous bassline and wriggling synth do their jobs so well that it's almost criminal. Technically flawless, its breakdown at two-and-a-half minutes is exact, timed for maximum dance floor impact. "Give Me Flowers" is slightly more engaging due to its pronounced bounce, but once again perfection persists. Its breakdown comes at the exact same moment in the track, even though its more than a minute shorter than "Simple Venus," and packs its builds into much shorter timeframes.
The problem with all of this? Perfection is boring. Perfectly boring. The most memorable moments in RA's top tracks of 2007 are the happy accidents, or to borrow a phrase from "Charly"—a tune from labelmate Pan-Pot that made the list—"ego-driven train[s]." For Antona to ever grace a list like that in the future, his ego is going to have to get involved at some point. Or, better yet, his id.
Tracklist A Simple Venus
B Give Me Flowers