Album of the Week #3

Artist: Kamp!
Album: Kamp!
Year: 2012
Label: Brennnessel

Let's take a trip over to Eastern Europe for the album this week, for an electro-pop trio who are pretty huge in Poland but haven't made a massive impression anywhere else. Why, I'm not too sure! Kamp! (don't forget the exclamation mark) make euphoric, radio-friendly dance music, and quite frankly it's a bit of a mystery as to why they've not really made a mark outside of their native land.

Whilst the electro-pop, vocalised tunes on the LP are all well and good, the straight up housey disco music is where the real value is. Cairo combines an ambient intro with a gloriously funky drop that's just as enjoyable on the dancefloor as at home. Heats seems indebted to the funky Justice remix of MGMT's Electric Feel as the influence of the 80s remains consistent throughout.

I find electronic music sometimes takes itself too seriously. The dark, brooding atmospheric soundscapes created by the likes of Burial and Four Tet are glorious, sure, but up until a couple of years ago the genre was really threatening to start collecting its pension far too soon. It was a coffee table phase of sorts, after the initial explosion of dubstep.

Fortunately, spearheaded by Disclosure, it's renaissance has been a shameless promotion of straight-up dance music, with its influences firmly rooted in the 90s. Even Chic, the formerly out of fashion disco group, are the ultimate hipsters' choice nowadays after Nile Rodgers' hugely successful collaboration with Daft Punk. Disco is back! Although Kamp! haven't received massive amounts of attention for their releases, it's a sound that ought to be receiving far more success.