Straight outta Brooklyn since 2001, Gang Gang Dance is that rare collective that eschews formal structures for free-for-all experimentation and expression. The payoff is usually excellent: 2004’s “Revival of the Shittiest” and 2005’s “God’s Money” were unclassifiable winners, and this third effort is no different. Baby, it’s art music.
The verdict: Saint Dymphna is a head-trip worth taking. From the undulating electronic warps and rollicking drums of “Vacuum” to the disjointed krautrock of “Bebey” and onward to the ambient chill of “Dust,” Gang Gang Dance’s latest effort is a digital swirl that is as challenging as it is engaging. Whether it’s the head-bobbing stomp of “House Jam” or the dizzying electro-collisions of “First Communion,” the effort doesn’t fail to impress.
Did you know? Gang Gang Dance singer Nathan Maddox died in 2002 after being struck by lightning in Manhattan.
This review appeared at Metromix and Los Angeles Times
