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Australian duo The Presets return to the scene with their 2008 sophomore record, Apocalypso. The album features a very strong dance vibe with industrial and pop undertones.
If you don't know The Presets, here is your introduction. Julian Hamilton is one half, and the side we would know as the voice. His singing is monotonous and can almost at times be described as yelling in key. Along with Kim Moyes, who is in charge with percussion, they both provide the keyboards and synths.
It's a complete dual effort, as the songs would lack something if either the beats or words were gone from their compositions. Hamilton and Moyes are prevalent in the Australian electronic scene, and partially in the rock scene as well. They are good friends with Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns, as well as his Dissociatives counterpart and producer Paul Mac. They have remixed fellow Australians Cagedbaby and Architecture in Helsinki, been remixed by Cut Copy, and share a label with Wolfmother and The Avalanches. Their first album, Beams, met with mixed reviews, but when it shined, it shined brightly. "Are You The One?" (purchase/download), the second single off the album, was featured in one of the final episodes in season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance.
Which brings us to Apocalypso. The album finds The Presets picking up on the vibe that worked, something that was mostly developed while touring based on live performances. The lead single, "My People," (purchase/download) is an extremely heavy, fast-paced, and dark electronic pop song, and also a cry for social reformation in Australia.
"Let me hear you scream if you're with me!" Hamilton yells, like the man with the megaphone. "Talk Like That" seems custom-tailored for the dance floor, complete with sexual connotations and classical breakdowns. Hamilton and Moyes make sure to let us know when to expect a big drop into some heavy beats as the instruments climb the scales, and the tension rises. Just when you think it can't go on any longer, right on the beat we hear, in almost a coy fashion, "Uh oh!" to let us know it's time to dance. "This Boy's In Love" (purchase/download) is the album's second single and is one of the softer notes available on Apocalypso, but don't be fooled by that description. It's still a very danceable number. Every time I begin to listen to "Kicking and Screaming," (purchase/download) the opening song, I think, "Wow, I really don't like this song." Then the chorus begins, and I'm reminded of just why I love The Presets. "Aeons" (purchase/download) is, in my opinion, the only downer on the album. Earlier I had mentioned that without both members contributing their individual strengths, Hamilton with his voice and Moyes with his beats, The Presets lost their edge. "Aeons" is an instrumental track, and thus feels like it is missing something.
You'll typically find The Presets in the rock section at your local CD retailer. This is incorrect, as The Presets are very far from rock. Hamilton's voice and the dark tone of the music threatens to drag their music into industrial territory, but the production from Moyes and the general song structure supply club and pop elements, giving us a very twisted form of electro pop. This album borders on being a non-stop party album, and the most disrespect it can be shown is to be lumped into "Pop/Rock." It belongs in Electronica, and maybe people will wise up to how much talent and potential these two men have.
Summary: Buy it. Some find Hamilton's voice a little grating, but I find it a refreshing change from the screaming diva and breathy vixen that dominate the dance floor. "Talk Like That," (purchase/download) even with an extended mix, could rock the floor.
Release May 13, 2008 on Modular/Interscope Records