Strangely Desirable
Richard E. T. White | Seattle, WA USA | 01/22/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Propulsive and compulsive dance music from continental hipsters Georg Kajanus(a real-life Russian prince)and Tim Dry. Thumping electronic beats are enlivened with bastard-love-child-of-Raymond-Chandler-and-Noel-Coward spoken word narrative, alternating with catchy ecstatic choruses. Once you listen to "Walking", the leadoff and best-known song, you will never move your nether limbs along the urban sidewalk again without the chorus bouncing back into your brain.
These suave and mordant gents use the tunes to propel them and us through the back alleys and sensual spas of Europe, slyly observing the sordid behavior of the denizens of the night. If it were a movie, this disc would have to be filmed by Hollywood black-and-white B-movie maestro Robert Siodmak, the transplanted German expressionist who gave us PHANTOM LADY, the original version of Hemingway's THE KILLERS and (most to the point) Yvonne DeCarlo's delirious dance sequence in CRISS CROSS.
Sometimes repetitive (is "Traveling" just "Walking" with more customs stickers slapped on?), it's nonetheless a treat, because the imagery and the general good spirits are savory and engaging. Definitely check out the various incarnations of "Walking" on YouTube, as Georg and Tim take a giddy gastronomic tour of Europe. My favorite? Barcelona for sure.
By the way, as a special treat for the film fans who flock to fantasy conventions gripping their polybagged copies of FANGORIA, background vocals throughout are by cult-film diva Barbie Wilde (HELLRAISER 2, DEATH WISH 3).
"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1