Justice

Artist: Justice
Title: Audio, Video, Disco
Record Label: Ed Banger/ Because/ Elektra
Rating: 9

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Xavier de Rosnay described how comparisons have been incorrectly drawn between Justice’s second LP ‘Audio, Video, Disco’ and rock n roll music. And while the duo of de Rosnay (a.k.a. The China) and Gaspard Auge (a.k.a. The Moustache) is by no means a rock duo, there is clear essence of the organic and the analog on this record that is atypical of digitally produced music.

‘Audio, Video, Disco’ follows their symbolically titled debut (†) and their bright power channeling creative vision into music has not dimmed. Newly, ‘Audio, Video, Disco’ was made using 3 keyboards and one guitar rather than the sample based audio of previous works. The result is a record sounding very
natural and surprising, as well as listenable in a way that says these guys from Paris are clearly doing what they were put on Earth to do: make incredible music while maintaining humble and laidback style.

First single “Civilization” catches your ear immediately with a hot marriage between sounds (created through variant keyboard audio and guitar pedals). The infectious beat never wears thin and lyrics proclaim universal (“Beat it on a million drums. The fire of a million guns. Mother of a million sons. Civilization.”)

“Ohio” uses a deep beat background with simple heartfelt guitar riff and soft vocals melodically proclaiming states of the U.S. before kicking into some pumped up Daft Punk reminiscent electronic rhythms. On “Canon (Primo)” the thirty second intro to “Canon” offers an organic peek into the guitar riff featured on the song to follow where it is digitized with pizzazz demonstrating that Justice’s musical home lies in a garden of effects.

‘Audio, Video, Disco’ as a whole is a connected and cohesive album formed beautifully, naturally. Truly
herein lies the power of Justice.

By Sarah Ferguson