Yuksek - Away from the sea [2009]

Country: France
Style: Electro
DSTG: Daft Punk, Justice
Format: Mp3
CBR: 44.1Khz, 192Kbps.

Many artists have aspirations. Some bands aim to sound exactly like their idols, never quite getting there ("Dude, we are so close to Nirvana status, I can feel it!") and others take influences and ideas and attempt to carve a more unique niche in the respective genre they reside in.
In terms of sound, Yuksek sits dubiously in the Alternative/Dance section which is already bulging with household names like Daft Punk, Justice and LCD Soundsystem. If you could take each of those artists and buy a big enough blender, then Yuksek is the dark, frothy liquid produced from that rather disgusting metaphor. It doesnt taste bad, it just looked a whole lot more appetising before the ingredients went in.
Yukseks problem is his desire to be bigger than he actually is. His beats and production are both impressive but theres something amateurish about the whole album which brings the overall impact down a notch. Imagine a homeless guy in an Armani suit; everything on show is well presented and attractive but on the inside, its still just a dirty guy in expensive clothes.
Introductory track Break Ya is possibly the most interesting on the record and is a huge, stomping, intelligently crafted beast. However, it begs to be a Justice track to such a degree that you cant help but want to put them on instead.
When hes not attempting the overblown, the man actually knows how to sound inviting. A lot of the material present on the CD starts off as competent and intriguing (see; Little Dirty Trip) but as was to be expected, he ruins the potential by trying to sound like someone he isnt. If youre less confident than the music youre trying to create then dont make the music youre attempting, it doesnt sound right.
It is regrettable that when Yuksek seems to be on the right track, he cannot help but veer slightly off, incorporating cheesy Euro-Pop style vocals into the fray or opting for a simple quiet/loud/louder break structure which sounds like a hundred other, less skilled dance musicians. He seems to have one foot in the realm of serious music-making and the other in a pool of retro, cliché pop nonsense.
Theres a lot to enjoy on the record, its just constantly hindered by uninviting pointlessness which has no place on an album with actual potential. Give him another album, a quick lesson in subtlety and we could have the next D.A.N.C.E. on our hands. For now, well justput that on instead.

Track listing :

1 Break Ya (3:30)
2 Tonight (3:13)
3 A Certain Life (3:01)
4 Extraball (3:32)
5 Take A Ride (3:39)
6 I Could Never Be A Dancer (3:15)
7 So Far Away From The Sea (3:16)
8 Little Dirty Trip (4:31)
9 This Is Not Today (4:15)
10 I Like To Play (4:29)
11 So Down (3:44)
12 Freak O Rocker (3:16)
13 Eat My Bear (3:17)

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