Who Made Who - The Plot Album Review

Review of Who Made Who's album 'The Plot'.

What would you expect of a band that shares its name with an AC/DC album? Frivolity, presumably. And judging from the promo shots of the band, Who Made Who are not men who take themselves very seriously. On the sleeve they look like aging, bald versions of the 118 men. To further compound this, the promo copy is dubbed over in places with a robotic woman who advises me 'this is a demo. so don't copy, baby' in a thick Danish accent.

But musically, in contrast, it's a very sophisticated affair. Some may argue that this relaxed style lacks in pace, but 'The Plot' is brilliantly atmospheric - in a similar vein to Hot Chip's sumptuous third album Made In The Dark. Who Made Who manage to combine the perfect amount of tongue-in-cheek humour with a grown up and polished approach to making music: the gall to name a song 'Ode to Joy' but also the sensibility to know if you're going to do that, it better be good. It is by the way, and like most of the other album tracks, has that rather enviable quality of being effortlessly rich. The pulsing synth slinks over the bassline, and it's all so understated that Who Made Who don't even sound like they are trying. Never brash, but instead a pleasingly opulent listen.

There are many more great moments on 'The Plot,' but there is also some changes in pace for those who like electronica with a bit more bite. 'Cyborg' starts off with a cheeky bit of banjo just to keep you guessing, then turns into something quite raucous. 'Raveo' has its feet placed firmly on the dancefloor from beginning to end. 'The Plot' is the latest release on German label Gomma Records, who host a handful of continental dance outfits like MUNK and also Box Codax (aka Nick 'Franz Ferdinand' McCarthy). With past collaborations including DFA, Erol Alkan and Metronomy to name a few, it would be pretty fair to say it's a healthy place to be releasing anything at the moment. And with Who Made Who keeping up with the Joneses musical standards, this surely can only spell good things.

Natalie Kaye