Denis the Night and The Panic Party - Cosmic Youth

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 22 / 12 / 2016

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Review

So, if you are into your psychedelia, shoegaze, garage pop, electro, avant-garde, new wave-type punky stuff, then this might well be appealing to you. Having toured Europe on the back of 'Hottrips', an EP of remixes including versions of tracks from Beck and Iggy Pop, Denis The Night & The Panic Party release their debut album on the iconic English label'Wall of Sound. Formed two years ago, Denis The Night & The Panic Party are an idiosyncratic collective centered around the trio of Ono Nora Fiorani, Nicola Sbrozzi and Alessandro Gobbi. Being able to morph from one genre to another, Denis The Night & The Panic Party soon evolved into a music and visual arts collective, featuring other like-minded artists including photographer Giulia Delprato, visual artist Eddie Preti and film-makers Enzo Lauria and Karin El Taifiov. After engaging the invaluable technical support of producer Livio Magnini (Bluvertigo guitarist and producer of multiple Italian hits), they also bumped into Tommi Tea (formerly one half of the indomitable Bloody Beetroots) and Antonella Lavini with her BlackPoisPromotions. This album is impossible to categorise because ‘Cosmic Youth’ is not only electro-psychedelia (or a catchy mix of electro dream pop and noise), but it is a mish-mash of everything else too which tends to worry folk when they hear that kind of labelling. Fear not though as this is excellent. The Wall of Sound label, who have released this album, has sported artists such as Grace Jones, Röyksopp, the Human League and Propellerheads in the past and so are not lacking in the quality stakes. Everything on the album gas a really porfessional sound. Denis The Night & The Panic Party's non-conformist, stray, eclectic sound has already conquered audiences from Primavera Sound and Manchester Indie Music Week to cult indie venues like L’International in Paris and Triennale of Milan, and it is no surprise to hear that they have also started to spread their fanbase into the UK with a recent multi-city tour, culminating with an appearance at Liverpool Sound City festival. 'Cosmic Youth' was recorded and mixed in Milan and mastered in England, and of the ten tracks on it the middle tracks for me are the best, starting with 'Lorraine' a kaleidoscope of sonic enjoyment, then being followed by 'UDU' with what sounds like an experiment with a stylophone and which quickly races into further and further eccentricity, 'The Underdog' changes the mood drastically with a great New Order style beat, while my personal favourite 'How Long Will Be Now' sounds like it should be the staple for a sci-fi film. I have the CD version which sports a colourful cover but I am reliably informed that it also comes in EPP/Digital Vinyl with works of art included. Now what is EPP I hear you ask? Well, it is Extended Painted Play, a new format to listen to music and experience it apparently. It is described as "Liquid Music for your smartphone/ psychic artwork to be displayed." Yep! Beats the shit out me too! But then it has licence to, because this is really quite stunning!

Track Listing:-

1 Androgynous Love
2 You Could Be My Home
3 Bodyguard
4 Lorraine
5 UDU
6 The Underdog
7 How Long Will Be Now
8 Cosmic Youth
9 Ricky Bon Ton
10 Panic Party

Band Links:-

http://denispanicparty.com/
https://www.facebook.com/denisnightpan
https://twitter.com/DenisPanicParty