After countless nights of DJing to packed clubs and discotheques, Crosstown Rebels’ head honcho Damian Lazarus has finally dropped his first solo album, Smoke the Monster Out, and his efforts are surprisingly fresh. While Crosstown is known for its breezy and colorful take on minimal techno, Smoke the Monster Out is ironically an album steeped in electronic folk, psychedelic pop/rock and modern torch songs. A refreshing take on the electronic musician long player, Smoke the Monster Out proves Mr. Lazarus is a luminary among an endless sea of DJs, having shown that in addition to his strong skills on the 1s and 2s he has an impeccable and extensive taste in music that is further explored in his podcast, Lazpod. While not all of the tracks on Smoke the Monster Out perform (the title track is a bit directionless while “Memory Box” doesn’t quite lift off), there are many great and unique-sounding standouts, including the darkly flirtatious techno number “Come and Play” and sensible pop closer “After Rave Delight.” The album’s sound is further enhanced by prickly, clean arrangements from Arthur Jeffes, son of the Penguin Café Orchestra’s late Simon Jeffes.
4/5
Download Damian Lazarus - "Come and Play" [Smoke the Monster Out LP, 2009]
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Download Damian Lazarus - "After Rave Delight" [Smoke the Monster Out LP, 2009]
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Tags: Eclectic, LP Reviews
