Justice: ‘Cross’ review

By Chris Chew

Rating: 8/10

Some say that an institution’s greatness is determined by its ability to churn out quality over extended periods of time. So General Electric, Eton Boys School and the Ajax Football Academy might be certified great by virtue of the top-notch types that emerge out of their doors with resounding frequency.

In like fashion then, French electonica could make a case for its inclusion into that uberclass. And its latest submission of evidence for admission would be Justice. Consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, these two twentysomethings’ remarkable debut album Cross (or t) must surely make Daft Punk, Air and Jean-Michel Jarre all beam with fatherly pride as they watch their fellow citizens lift the plateau of dance with equally spectacular effectiveness as those aforementioned forefathers did through the 1980s and 90s.

It’s a high calling, but Justice is a worthy successor. Cross is a consistent whirlpool of ideas, particularly loaded with sandpaper sounds that might be the byproducts of a Korg workstation and Boss DD-2 distortion pedal simultaneously shoved through a wood chipper. Yet they are never planted there for mere admiration or ogling; these are notes and rests that revel in bump and grind, sweaty and nasty.

Despite the album title’s biblical allusions, Justice is hardly the propagator of deeply spiritual, meaningful music. Indeed, Cross is anything but sinister. Look beyond the brooding minor chords and serrated keyboard effects, and you’ll soon discover a Cartoon Network goofiness, as if Augé and de Rosnay are only using their music as a platform to their ultimate ambition of becoming Dexter’s arch nemeses. First single ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ affirms this; amidst the playground chirps, it demonstrates that you don’t have to transform into a power-suited vamp to prove that you’re serious about your music—or that your serious music can be deadly fun.

Indeed, what makes Cross so breathtakingly effervescent is Justice’s experimental approach to the genre. Instead of letting some droll patch or preset BPM define the rhythmic foundations, the cavalier French pair set out to liberate the triplets, unchain the semi-quavers and wreck havoc upon all four-on-the-floor enclaves. Halfway through ‘Phantom’ and its sequel ‘Pt II’, the fuzzed-out synths and thumb-slapped basslines are placated by a drastic mood drop and a couple of subtle note modulations, thus suddenly churning the distortions into a smoother, creamier mix. Candy floss goodness.

With nary a breath taken between tracks, Cross is undoubtedly one of 2007’s definitive party albums. It does take a brief dip through the midsection, where ‘Tthhee Ppaarrttyy’ awkwardly sneaks in the cleaner synth tones of New Order, plus a redundant chorus by electronica chick and labelmate Uffie that invites the dancefloor posse to “Get this party started!” But then ‘Stress’ accelerates the hysteria once more, before the splendid ‘Waters of Nazareth’ decimates all pretenders by hurling its ball of coagulated static into our faces. Justice proves that the world’s dance-rock pretenders haven’t got the slightest clue how to smack a snare, shuffle a hi-hat and throb a bass drum. The Fall Out Boys and Panic! At The Discos of the world can leave the room now; there’s only room for one body-moving collective at the console.

JUSTICE - CROSS
(Ed Banger Records/Warner)

Track Listing

1. Genesis
2. Let There Be Light
3. D.A.N.C.E.
4. Newjack
5. Phantom
6. Phantom Pt. II
7. Valentine
8. Tthhee Ppaarrttyy (featuring Uffie)
9. DVNO (featuring Mehdi Pinson)
10. Stress
11. Waters of Nazareth
12. One Minute to Midnight