gullbuy music review

Black Strobe

title

Chemical Sweet Girl EP

label

Output Recordings

format
CD5

Black Strobe CD coverThe Chemical Sweet Girl EP is a great way to hear the first three singles Black Strobe has released on Output Recordings since 2000. Not only does this EP include the latest Black Strobe single Chemical Sweet Girl (and its b-side The Abwehr Disco), but they've seen fit to include both Me and Madonna and Innerstrings along with b-sides and 2 exclusive mixes of Me and Madonna and Chemical Sweet Girl. Clocking in at 42 minutes, this is a sizable EP full of Black Strobe goodness.

Black Strobe consists of Ivan Smagghe and Arnaud Rebotini, both of whom have been very busy the past few years, which helps explain why they've released music sparingly as Black Strobe. Their singles veer between the Ministry/NINs styled attack of their latest effort Chemical Sweet Girl, and the more New Order inspired sound of Me and Madonna. Fitting Together and Innerstrings (the No Shuffle mix) are only slightly less worthy than those main songs with their synth pop goodness only over shadowed by both Me and Madonna/Chemical Sweet Girl memorableness.

The b-side The Abwehr Disco fits into this mold as well, and seems well suited for a mixed DJ set of hard beats. The 2 Fairlight Bitches remix of Me And Madonna actually gives it the electro 80s New Order vibe (whereas the original honed in more on that guitar based sound of New Order). The Alter Ego remix of Chemical Sweet Girl (Alter Ego returning the favor for the Black Strobe remix of Rocker) accents the backbeat with a more current sounding rhythm but also accents the vocals more.

---Patrick, August 17, 2004