Hard-hitting dance duo Justice return with 'Hyperdrama'
Their debut was nothing less than one of the most influential dance albums of the noughties. The electronic duo of Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé, better known as Justice, shot to fame in 2007 with the groundbreaking album "Cross".
With hits like "D.A.N.C.E.", "Phantom" and "Stress", the album has been labelled by some critics as one of the most important electronic releases of all time.
After two more studio albums and remixes of Britney Spears, U2 and Lenny Kravitz, the band have remained somewhat quiet in recent years, spending the majority of the past decade quietly working on their fourth release: "Hyperdrama", now set to arrive on Friday, April 26.
"We picked that time of the year to come back," Justice announced via their record label. "Spring, when nice weather arrives, fits with the spirit of this record."
It is indeed an album characterised by new beginnings. With the opener "Neverender", the band team up with psychedelic giants of the alternative genre, Tame Impala for a sound reminiscent of the club-ready funk of Daft Punk.
The Australian indie band's singer is also involved in the fantastically chilled rave of the pre-release single "One Night/All Night".
In any case, "Hyperdrama" - unlike its predecessor "Woman" - brings Justice back together with a handful of guests, each leaving their own mark.
The atmosphere on the record oscillates from metal in droning, dirty tracks like "Generator", which is certainly most reminiscent of "Cross", to light jazz in "Moonlight Rendez-Vous" and a futuristic space sound in "Explorer".
The album is at times polished house, vintage Italo disco and up-to-the-minute pop, and elsewhere light R&B and dramatic techno, but always charged with an electro feel.
"It's like we have this little button on our console to switch from one soundscape to the next," Augé is quoted as saying. "We always want to take our music where we've never been before."
On "Hyperdrama", the two-time Grammy winners once again succeed in creating the music of the future from retro hardware. Augé and de Rosnay, who are both in their early 40s, are themselves verging on being dance veterans, two decades after their breakthrough with the remix of Simian's "Never Be Alone".
Justice have announced tour dates throughout 2024 for concerts in South America, North America and Europe.
