Digitalism

Digitalism's latest EP, Lift, sees the Hamburg duo heavily embracing collaboration — a bit of a stretch for an act that have hardly collaborated with anyone over the entirety of their career. The title track (a collaboration with the M Machine) finds its footing immediately in the choppy, wavering vocals, relentless snare and synth work, which are all unabashedly Digitalism. "Lift" is by far the standout on this electro-pop EP, though the remaining two aren't far behind. "Dudalism" (with Steve Duda) builds elementally, again working the crisp snare, but pays stricter attention to detail with an unexpected string interlude — the melancholic harmony is the perfect balance for a track more inclined for the dance floor. While closer "Electric Fist" may very well be the weakest offering here — with "weak" being used lightly — it's rife with faint synth distortion and a pulsing backdrop. Though not substantial in length, Lift is in quality.