NYC DJ Armand Van Helden has described his second LP as his "Sex Pistols record." He loads his tracks with a Rollins-like spleen and a raw production that seems to kick against the complacency of Ecstasy culture. Killing Puritans opens with a rant against the corporate machine and moves swiftly to the Scorpions-sampling metal-dance of "Little Black Spiders" and meta-cool of "Breakdancers Call"--jazz solos, B-boy licks, and Fatboy fills. His pace and breadth are fearless--from the Will Smith-ish block party of "Full Moon" (which guest-stars the rapper Common) to the low-end booty of "Hybridz" with its apocalyptic preachers field-recorded in Central Park. The album swells with classics--"Flyaway Love" detonates hellifre over an Ibizan disco-dream while the closer, "Conscience," howls with urban empathy. "Conscience" backs a soaring blues from Wu-Tang's Takeitha with a ferociously ramped-up mix; one could term this song rave's "Inner City Blues." Killing Puritans is an extraordinary, unblushing work. --Amazon.co.uk
Album Description
If last year belonged to disco samples, this year Armand has dug far further back into the crates, unearthing early house music, hip hop, 80s synth pop and yes, even heavy metal for his source material. Applying hip hop's rapping and scratching to house music, he has come up with radical new hybrids likely to resonate through popular music for years to come. "Little Black Spiders" has Armand fighting for your right to party, mashing Euro headbangers The Scorpions into the most danceable heavy metal record ever. "Full Moon" sub poenas currently white hot rapper Common to lay down some rhymes over a class boogie groove that harks back to the Jungle Brothers early hits. "Flyaway Love" is the track for the DJs: pumping dark house just right for those Ibiza sunrises. "Hybridz" sees Armand picking up the mic himself to trade rhymes with his DJ mate Junior Sanchez over a rhythm that's pure New York Sound Factory 1988. Best of all is first single "Koochy". Perfect pop and headf*ck house rolled into one, this is the epitome of the album's spirit has Armand rapping over clicking electro, scratching and an eardrum-popping sample lifted from Gary Numan's electro pop classic "Cars". Forget everything you've heard from the sample slaya so far: once heard, "Koochie" will drill its way into your brain and become Armand's biggest tune yet. Destined to be for light aeroplane -flying futurists everything Basement Jaxx are to flamenco guitars.
This is the year of Armand Van Helden: prepare to leave your preconceptions at the door when you pick up that flak jacket. This year Van Helden is Armand and Dangerous.
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