Safe And Sound
Take a moment from your daily Pokemon catching rituals and think back to 2011. Was there even color TV that long ago? How did we get around before Uber? Remember what you were listening to? I would wager that – like all of the TMN staff – you were jamming to Audio, Video, Disco on repeat. Today, almost 5 years since AVD’s debut, French duo and electronic masterminds Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay have returned with their newest release, “Safe and Sound”.
Electrohouse and Nu-disco fans rejoice, “Safe and Sound” contains all of the polished elements that catapulted Justice to stardom back in 2007 with the release of †. With a Knight Rider-like nostalgia to it, this funky track takes up the mantle that the French Express label has been championing during Justice’s lengthy hiatus. Similar sonically to fellow French house producer M83’s recent release, “Do It, Try It”, “Safe and Sound” booms with lush, funky synthscapes and relies on a simple, catchy, albeit repetitive line.
With a slowly constructed intro, built up with a choir-like vocal line (“Man up, hold tight, Driving dark, Head up, foot down, Speed of sound”), Safe and Sound jumps into action with a variety of dynamic pieces. Coupling nicely with the vocal loop, a funky bassline is overlaid with an electronic harmony from early on. At the 2:15 mark, a forceful violin effect takes the song on a twist that will certainly bring back memories of earlier works by the duo (ahem). Nearly a minute later, a bass guitar solo further distorts the cadence, keeping the song fresh throughout the full six-minute span.
“Safe and Sound”, carried on the strength of the groovy bass guitar, toes the line of creating an incredibly catchy track without falling into the trap of being labeled as “pop-y”. Along with this latest release, Justice has revealed their third studio album is under construction. While there is not yet a public working title or release date, Justice fans anew can download “Safe and Sound” (for free!!!) by following this link to their website.
