Télépopmusik

Dabbling in too many genres of musical sound can sometimes make records feel disorganised and disjointed. Even though the French trio dubbed Télépopmusik takes a good crack at pulling off wispy pop vocals, hip-hop and Kraftwerk-style dance music, they never quite fit into a groove. If there was one area that the three excel at the most it would be the tracks that contain Angela MacClusky’s calming vocals interlaced within minimal beats or big band tinkering. It’s a shame that Télépopmusik didn’t just stick to this formula otherwise Genetic World might have been a truly beautiful record. Instead they do in fact delve into hip-hop with Gamma’s Juice Aleem taking MC duties but at times giving him rock guitar riffs and ho-hum pop beats to bust rhymes over. Forgettable collaborations with Canadian vocalists Gonzales and Peaches that don’t enhance the listening experience, only weighing the sensational material down. Genetic World is a bumpy listen, but top marks should definitely be awarded for the places where Télépopmusik succeed. Hopefully if the trio decide to record a follow-up they will realise that their strengths lie in their hypnotic vocal tracks and jazz-induced instrumentals, rather than their hip-pop and dance numbers.