Felix Da Housecat – Radio

• 11th Apr 2008

Launched into the spotlight in the flash of excitement that surrounded the short-lived electroclash, Felix Da Housecat refused to drown when the genre’s ship sank.

Even after rather messy entanglements when P Diddy decided to go ‘dance’ after spending too long in the sun in Ibiza, Felix still managed to emerge with credibility and creativity.

New single, Radio, is taken from his third album, Virgo Blaktro & The Movie Disco, and is a million miles from the hard-edged electro that propelled Felix Da Housecat and his peers into the spotlight. Shimmering synths lead you into a glossy little tune that sounds almost fragile as it floats around in a French disco ether. Sounding like Air or Daft Punk covering The Buggles, the song has such a sheen that it feels possible to actually slide away on it.

Japan’s Shinichi Osawa, described as a ‘new-rave techno pop maestro’ pulls out a truly mystifying remix that follows the track further down the Daft Punk path before also crow-barring in a breakdown that sounds like Soulwax going Dancehall. Wall of Sound’s Infadels take their turn at slamming genres together in a remix that never holds back, daft descriptions can sometimes be entertaining but this one is absolutely essential, sounding like The Rapture remixed by Josh Wink in a ‘higher state of consciousness’ style, while playing a gameboy on a fairground waltzer, yes really!

But it is New York’s revered living house supremo that really delivers with a strong jacking beat that most re-calls the glory days of electroclash while rubbing it up against an 80’s wildstyle hip-hop flavour.

Radio regains its edge thanks to the diverse role call of artists drafted in to provide remixes that strip away the sheen and deliver it back to the dancefloor.