- Release number ten for French hip-hop and electronic funk specialists Musique Large serves up a catchy EP from Scottish leftfield electro-pop duo Ben Butler and Mousepad. Despite releases on Norwegian skweee label Dødpop, BBMB are perhaps better known for their energetic live shows and experimental electronic pop productions on Loaf. Gif'N'Run is a refreshing mix of all these influences: It's got heavy bass, juicy funk, slomo skweee tempos and charming synth work.
The EP's lead track jerks into life with innocent zip, recalling the halcyon days of French electro. (Thomas Bangalter and Jackson and His Computer Band leap to mind—more electro-class than trash.) "Dmore II" is the street-wise elder to "Gif'N'Run"'s youthful enthusiasm, maintaining a serious electro-funk stride throughout and only occasionally letting up with a sprinkling of keys. "Mag Mag" lightens things but keeps the bass rolling, setting the stage for the awkward swashbuckling anthem "Cheer." It's the most fun of the lot, with its swigging rasps of electroid funk moving from side to side.
Enter the remixes. Shigeto lets the machines get emotional on his remix of "Mag Mag," which is a delicate headnod complete with oriental string accompaniment. Brokenchord creates a monstrous remix out of "Cheer" with maximum bass and off-kilter shuffle. If the original was swashbuckling, this one is Godzilla merry on rum. Mesak, meanwhile, rounds things up nicely with a swirling minimal-styled electro funk re-work of "Dmore II."
Tracklist 01. Gif'N'Run
02. Dmore II
03. Mag Mag
04. Cheer
05. Mag Mag (Shigeto remix)
06. Cheer (Brokenchord remix)
07. Dmore II (Mesak remix)