Goth techno, built for stadiums and sung by Liam Gallagher and lggy Pop, is evidently a thing of Death In Vegas’ extravagant major-label past. Now on their own Drone imprint, Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes’ ambitions are more modest, that rotten album title notwithstanding. A song called “Sons Of Rother” reveals more?that they’ve consciously restyled themselves in the image of ’70s Krautrock, especially Michael Rother’s Neu! and Harmonia. At times it’s hard to see the point of such a meticulous homage to motorik; one suspects Kraftwerk themselves might have trouble differentiating the start of “Zugaga” from “Trans Europe Express”. Nevertheless, DIV’s most aesthetically satisfying album, and perhaps an explanation of why their production work for Oasis last year was so abruptly terminated.
JOHN MULVEY