4x4 Multi-Single, Vol.2

Electronic label Section 44 Records’ 4x4 series features low-priced quadruple singles, each including four tracks each from four different bands. The second volume’s highlights include appearances from MODyssey and Rhythmic Symphony, as well as cheesy but fun techno pop from Endanger and four guest remixes of songs from Provision’s most recent album Visualize. MODyssey’s four tracks are perhaps the slickest; although “Across The Distance” borders on saccharine, each track here is soulful and irresistibly melodic in the vein of Erasure, with floating layered vocals and bouncing synthesizers. “Something For Nothing” is a darker, more atmospheric ballad that departs from the upbeat themes of the band’s other material, but all four tracks are brilliant. Endanger has more of a techno feel than the other bands on the disc, with progressive house beats showing up on Namnambulu’s remix of “Give Me A Reason,” while “Victory of the Heart” is European bubblegum, like a more sentimental version of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl,” complete with goofy spoken bits, but is somehow irresistible despite its silliness. Rhythmic Symphony is an unexpected pleasure; though still firmly rooted in synthpop, this outfit boasts some of the sweetest vocal harmonies this side of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, with the quieter beats and delicate pianos of “Find Me” and the gliding dreaminess of “Shards Of Scarlet” particularly standing out. Closing the album out are Provision remixes by CTRL, D.J. Dissent, Rename and Cloudless; Rename’s “Bo City Club” mix of “Visualize” is the most striking, with its thumping house minimalism, and the Cloudless remix of “Flood Of Emotion” is also a stunner, transforming the retro pop of the original into a bass-heavy electro track. All in all, this is a fantastic introduction to four new bands, and with almost eighty minutes of music it’s an especially good prize for budget-conscious fans interested in exploring the new breed of synthpop.

Visit www.section44.com for more information on this series of compilations.