• Search
• Subscribe

I Voice has been keeping an eye on the Italian duo Lula Circus ever since “Morning Love” hit last year on the Yoko Emoshon EP for Brouqade. The pair’s latest for the notable NYC start-up Stranjjur captures the essence of that sound in places as well as spicing the package up with some tasty remixes from MANIK and Pezzner.

The tough pill to swallow here is the whole coked-up Eighties vibe of the title track and the overall concept of the release. From a modern perspective, there is plenty of this sound out there – some good, most of it sub-par. From a historical perspective things get worse, anyone old enough to remember saying yes when the whole world was saying no, this cheesy tribute to snow blind evenings is little more than mustachioed pageantry with a creaky heritage that seems a bit grey behind the ears.

The elastic bass line of “Miami Vice” is a stand out, it’s the execution that fails here. There is plenty of the flow and inventive musicality that drew our fine publication to these guys in the first place. It’s the thin, Eighties feel - reminiscent of shiny pastel suits and jet boats - that makes this track too wimpy to be accepted with any sort of straight face.

M A N I K is dance music’s chameleon, changing styles and easily as most folks change socks. There are echoes of his stellar new album for Ovum, Armies of the Night, as well as work for hip labels like Culprit and Hot Creations - a scene that Stranjjur is very much a part of, so tapping M A N I K for a remix doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The remix of “Miami Vice” is more functional groove than the insanity this guy is capable of but it fits the concept of the release well and does the trick, sans bells and whistles. It also blows the doors off the original.

The second original, “Pumpin Groovin”, does exactly that but with a drugged-out, late night, foggy headed stumble that any weekend fan could appreciate. This is also what makes Lula Circus special – the combo of slow motion beats, thick bass lines, and the almost torturous way the musical elements of the track are stacked in layers, crescendo-ing slowly over time to reach perfection at a measured pace. These guys are going to be huge in no time and looking back, this track will be a key part of that success.

Seattle artist Pezzner is at the top of the list of our favorite American producers mainly because his music is melancholy like the perpetually rain streaked skies of the Jet City and relentless, a holdover from the guy’s deep West Coast roots. It tops the original version by beating it at its own game, Pezzner accents all of the right elements and ratchets up the tension but essentially keeps things humming along the same arc as the source material.

“Smell Of Hell” has a distinct Arcobaleno feel and wouldn’t be out of place in a Rub N Tug DJ set, it is funky but with more of that cheesy cocaine aftertaste. This boils down to a matter of tastes: Those who love the raw, uncut retro flavor will be attracted while those who don’t will most likely be unimpressed.

The last offering, “So In Love”, has little in common with the Curtis Mayfield track of the same name. Mr. Superfly would never have approved of such a minimal approach to dance music but for house music aficionados this is a draw between the forces of heads-down exercises in rote style and those representing truly inspired jams. The same can be said of the EP.

Artist: Lula Circus Title: Miami Vice EP Label: Stranjjur TracklistMiami Vice - OriginalMiami Vice - MANIK RemixPumpin Groovin - OriginalPumpin Groovin - Pezzner RemixSmell Of Hell - OriginalSo In Love - Original stranjjur.me www.facebook.com/pages/Lula-Circus/... Our Rating: 7/10