http://www.residentadvisor.net/images/reviews/2008/rex-the-dog-show.jpg

 

Residentadvisor__ 4/5

 

Just for fun, I followed a full listen of The Rex the Dog Show with the nine-minute "Album Minimix" available for the hearing on Rex the Dog's MySpace page. Pretty shrewd of him to condense his music's pleasures even further than the album itself does: about half of The Rex the Dog Show consists of previously released singles that have been chopped down to between half and two-thirds of their original length, and it ends nearly at the beginning, with "Frequency" and "I Look into Mid-Air," the A and B sides of one of Rex's (really Jake Williams's, but fine, Rex's) first 12-inches on Kompakt four years ago.

 

Four years would seem like a lot longer ago in dance-music terms than it sounds here. It's been that kind of decade: especially compared to the '90s, the best dance records of 2008 don't sound extremely different than those of 2004, or 2000. That's a benefit in this album's case; everything on it sounds effortless, and all of it meshes nicely. By "mesh," of course, I mean flits charmingly between serrated electro that doesn't need to lean on Justice-style distortion-for-its-own-sake ("Maximize," "Prototype," the remix of the Knife's "Heartbeats") and a smoother, more digital-soul style ("Gecko," hooked on an irresistible female vocal snatch: "Baby, don't you know I live for your touch?"). The keyboard lines impact so instantly they sound as if they've been waiting for someone to claim them since time immemorial. Everything sounds like it emerged spontaneously on an especially inspired night of activity. For an album four years in the making, there are few better compliments.

 

Tracklist__

 

01. Intro

02. Maximize 2008

03. Gecko

04. Bubblicious

05. Prototype

06. Heartsong

07. The Knife - Heartbeats (Rex The Dog Remix)

08. Circulate

09. The Sounds - Tony The Beat (Rex The Dog Remix)

10. I Can See You; Can You See Me?

11. Itchy Scratchy

12. Italian Skyline

13. Frequency

14. I Look Into Mid Air

 

 

'I Can See You, Can You See Me?'

 

'Tony The Beat' [Rex The Dog Remix]

 

It really should go in Dance (I think so anyway) but it will be more recognized in here I reckon. Anyway, good album yeah. :o

Yeah, it should be in dance but more appreciated here.

 

I was disappointed to be honest - you can't really call this an album of four years in the making as it's simply a compilation of tracks he's done over the past four years. He's always good to listen to though...if a little samey.

http://www.residentadvisor.net/images/reviews/2008/rex-the-dog-show.jpg

 

Residentadvisor__ 4/5

 

Four years would seem like a lot longer ago in dance-music terms than it sounds here. It's been that kind of decade: especially compared to the '90s, the best dance records of 2008 don't sound extremely different than those of 2004, or 2000.

Yeah, it should be in dance but more appreciated here.

 

well some reviews have used it conjunction with the electropop word - so does that mean it should join the ting tings in pop..(do the ting tings sound so much like new order?!?! :lol:)

 

btw was in the car the other day and my brother had on an old dance compilation...and JX came on...which is the sounds of cheesy mid 90s europop as much as duece now...

 

JX - There's Nothing I Won't Do

 

Deuce - Call It Love

 

Deuce - I Need You