Miss Kittin & The Hacker got together again in 2002 to follow-up 2001's First Album with the one-sided limited edition vinyl 12 inch The Beach on Mental Groove Records - with a b-side that is an etching done by Miss Kittin herself. The end result is not only a collector's item for Miss Kittin fans but also a crucial piece in the Miss Kittin story.

I'd always thought her work with Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy to be superior to her work with The Hacker, in that it had a longevity to its sound and didn't wear out its welcome. I originally wondered if this 12 inch was an homage to New Order's The Beach (which was the b-side to New Order's Blue Monday 12 inch; before hearing Miss Kittin and The Hacker's The Beach, I wondered if it was a cover, which it's not). Miss Kittin and The Hacker's The Beach did end up on the Mental Groove compilation Where Is Here, which collected together various singles from the label, of which The Beach was a clear highlight. Here we get the original 12 inch single.

This time around The Hacker based the music from the 1980s Italo dance classic I Want You by Gary Low, while Miss Kittin sing talks one of her best lyrics yet and it's like another sweet phone message from an old friend on vacation. It's transformed from the original Italodisco (which by definition has some over emotive soul) with a Giorgio Moroder rhythm, but since she's no Donna Summer, it's not overly disco and ends up being the more human side of that sound (not unlike New Order). It's got one of my favorite Miss Kittin lyrics. Here's what she sings, accompanied by the sounds of tropical waves and building synth waves:

Sun is shining tonight. The sun, the moon, the city lights. I can't remember where I am. It could be Cannes, St Tropez, or Tahiti. Give me some oil. I like to be greasy and tanned, sand in my hair. I forgot my sunglasses. Oh, we should send a postcard to the label. It must be freezing in Munich right now. One more thing. My glass of Martini dry is empty. More ice next time. I hope there is new stuff from Detroit at the record shop when I'm back.