REVIEW: Django Django - Django Django

Django Django
Django Django
(out of 5)

If you’re still coming to terms with the disbanding of The Beta Band, I bring good news… all is not lost! Lead by drummer/producer David Maclean (Beta Band keyboardist’s younger brother), art-pop lives on through this quartet of creative blokes from Edinburgh.

Meeting and forming a musical kinship at art school, they named themselves after Belgian virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer Django Reinhardt, and eventually moved to London to get their career going. A single lead to a fast fan following, and three years later Django Django’s long awaited and much anticipated debut is finally here.

Akin to taking a trip around the world in a time machine whist under the influence of mind-expanding drugs, their long player conjures comparisons to The Zombies, The Byrds and The Doors, all mashed together with electro sound effects and world beats. Stand outs include ‘Firewater’ with its T-Rex like crackling percussion and mesmerising vocals, the nutty brilliance of ‘Zumm Zumm’, featuring buzzing keys, Roland hand claps, with a mix reminiscent of a mid-‘80s 12”, and the Western flavoured ‘Love’s Dart’ rides on a horse-hoof groove across a vivid musical prairie. 

Like a cultish sect, you may think it all a little strange and hard to connect with at first, but further listens with surely have you slipping on the Nikes and happily drinking the cool aid.

Django Django - Storm

By Matt Ruys