Beat Market

Let's get this out of the way right off top. Beat Market are heavily influenced by Daft Punk. Heavily! In fact, the duo from Montreal sound, look, feel and taste remarkably like the duo from Paris. But with just a simple spin of their debut, Red Magic, all can be forgiven. Constructed primarily on '80s synthesizers and drum machines, these twelve beat-mining tracks come embedded with aural flares and personality-rich detours. Lead single "Holytek" lays down a bed of chugging hand-snaps beneath a sexy Hammond break (lifted almost wholesale from Air's Moon Safari) while "Aviator 2000" runs modern day EDM through an 8-bit filter. From the blossoming French pop overture feel of "Human" to the Richard X crossfader mood of "Frogol Funk," there's far too many reference points to call this album an essential listen. But Red Magic does manage to exhibit just enough gusto, polish and musical comprehension to allow listeners to toss that critical ear aside and get down with da funk.