Vicnet - Vic-CD [Deco - 2003]Vicnet is the project of a young french designer who indulges in retro electro-pop. 80’s revival again, but at least not as annoying as electro-clash. Vincent Tordjman studied a lot: design, philosophy and music. He seems pretty busy with various professional projects in France or Japan (designing furnitures, working on theatre plays), but still finds the time to make his own music. The story says he works on it while waiting for planes, in the subway, and so on… Although the album was entirely composed on laptop, it sounds very 80’s. Commodre’s music, Sega 8-bit, early house bass, vintage keyboards sounds, that’s what you’re reminded of. Cheap vocoding is also, of course, de rigueur. But Tordjman didn’t leave out today’s laptop experimentalism: it’s an underlying presence throughout the record. In a way, the music is quite manic, speedy. You feel a bit as if you had just smoked pot, were lying on the couch, half asleep and your best friends was high on E, standing, jumping and speaking fast, so fast, so fucking fast…. The CD has some sort of naïve aspect to it that is quite charming. Some of the tracks are really enjoyable. If Sega were still working on Alex Kid, Jammin’ on my vic-piano would have been a perfect choice for the soundtrack (no small compliment coming from the Sega fanatic that I am). Petrol and bitch sounds like a Kraftwerk remix of a 1985 club-hit. Exciting car-life city is the encounter of early-jungle, 8-bits soundtracks and 2000 glitchy laptopism. I need design is quite a cool track too. The video is included on the CD and it’s very nice. Both the video and the lyrics focus on something Tordjman designed for the “Designer’s week” in Tokyo: the “Flatmusic”, an “audio desk”. It’s a special desk featuring extra-flat speakers, digital amplifier and slots to insert Compact Flash magnetic cards. Unfortunately, Vic bored me very fast, and even annoyed me at times. Anyway, it’s a nice and funny album, one that 80’s gamers (and everyone loving 80’s sounds) will really enjoy. François Monti
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