Sonic Youth – Luke Tangerine & Ambitstream feat Kate Pending (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Fear not, electro-dance fans, the title of this new one from Luke isn’t an indication that he has gone way off message and started writing tributes to gnarly 90s guitar bands—not at all—but it is the perfect song title for music that is aimed at a vibrant and younger portion of the population: the dance floor divas and club-goers.

No, Sonic Youth sees him right in the heart of the music he is so well known for and which he, in turn, does so well: shimmering, dance-driven, beat-heavy, synth-scapes full of euphoric energy and pop smarts. Here, aided and abetted by Ambitstream and featuring the scintillating vocals of special guest Kate Pending, Luke offers us a gorgeously textured slice of clubland culture, the soundtrack to and for the bright young things who congregate under the neon haze and strobing lights of the most cutting edge nightclubs and sophisticated dance spaces.

For that is what this is: cutting-edge. It speaks of the future, it points to tomorrow, and even though all music is based on what has gone before, all music is built by standing on the shoulders of giants; this music is so forward-thinking, so focused on where things go next, that yesterday is not a concept that it concerns itself with.

Luke Tangerine is capable of blending and building all manner of electronic music. In the short time that I have been aware of his work, I have followed him through everything from ambient soundscapes to the most vibrant dance floor anthems. Sonic Youth sits on the latter end of that spectrum, not only music to lose yourself in but a taste of tomorrow, today.