I Fought The Law: NG Magazine Reviews Justice

2007-12-10 09:25:23

Having been riddled with flu for the past 24 hours because of a nightmare week at work, I was a bit doubtful about whether I’d manage to make it down to Rock City at all tonight. And what a crime that would have been, with not only CSS headlining but the newest French electro duo to hit the dance scene supporting them. Justice aren’t new kids on the block by any means, they’ve been around for a fair few years and have remixed for artists as famous and diverse as Britney (God bless her soul), N*E*R*D, Daft Punk and Metallica.
    
But they’ve recently been propelled to the dizzying heights of musical fame, mainly because of the umpteenth reissue of their 2003 remix of Simian Mobile Disco’s Never Be Alone. Yes, it’s currently being used on the new Sony ad (sigh). Yes, the place goes nuts when they play that near the close of their set. But Justice are so much more than that one, incredibly overplayed tune!
    
A thick, heavy bassline acts like a warning siren and succeeds in rallying hundreds of people into the main arena at Nottingham’s Rock City. There’s nothing onstage except a mountain of speakers and a big white flashing cross that’s nestled between them. Hidden away behind this speaker stack are Gaspard Auge and Xavier De Rosnay, collectively known as Justice. The ominous bassline gradually becomes layered with more sounds, and they proceed to completely and utterly slay the venue with an immense and ear-splitting set.
    
Dvno, one of their most popular tracks, cements the wandering crowd firmly into place. It’s spiky, layered electronica is the stuff of genius. The hammering bassline only fades at a few points throughout the set, allowing the audience to show their appreciation with a cacophony of cheers. They include nods to modern acts like the Klaxons, and include shadowy hints of their remix of As Above, So Below.
    
But there are also plenty of nods to classic disco tracks and some of their predecessors, like the original French disco/house pioneer Les Rhythmes Digitales. They chuck Disco To Disco into a furious electronic mix, with the relentless bassline thundering away like a mad metal hammer. Of course, some of these references are lost on the ‘new rave’ imbeciles out there, but it makes trainspotters like me feel warm, fuzzy and infinitely superior inside. The set climaxes with D.A.N.C.E, a blissed-out electronic tidal wave that washes over us all and leaves us standing, drenched, in a pool of awe.
    
If you were lucky enough to see these guys in Nottingham, be thankful. They’ve just been nominated for a Grammy award and with a string of dates lined up in the US and the rest of Europe, I doubt they’ll be back anytime soon. Think Daft Punk with metal. Lashings and lashings of metal. And then you’ll realise exactly why the future of electronic dance music lies with Justice.
    
The Law Won: Michelle Dhillon
    

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