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Kitsune Maison Compilation 7

Taking a brief glance at the track listing and worryingly only La Roux stands out as a familiar name. Let’s be honest, the mixing and structure barely matter, the only real point of compilation CDs has always been to introduce new acts, something that Kitsune Maison succeed at admirably.

Kicking things off is the adolescent, joyful 'Something Good Can Work from the Northern Irish', Two Door Cinema Club. Smiley time continues with 'Time After Time' from We Have Band which builds on the infectious combination of a husky vocal and meddling basslines until royally stretching out its eclectic, energetic beats. It comes as some surprise to find folktronica and rave blended with a monotone Spanish vocal all in the same choon, namely the bewildering 'Xtatic Truth' from Crystal Fighters. Yet when The Golden Filter use their cheeky, seductive Italian vocal to list some WAG wannebe’s shopping and holidaying traits over a simple electro beat on Favourite Things, it works, effortlessly.

Ah yes, finally, something recognisable and it is the in vogue La Roux with a little help and the velvetiest series of beats from Lifelike for the In For The Kill remix. Though Fringe Element by Beni adds some much needed funk to proceedings it barely leaves anything else. Thankfully, straight after that is the beguiling autoKratz with their Always More (Yuksek remix), featuring the simple line ‘Take my hand, You can break my heart’, only it is sung through a vocoder.

If Miss Mars is an attempt by 80 Kidz to pay homage to Homework era Daft Punk then it is quite simply on the money, if not then someone needs to contact their manager for a potential lawsuit. Taking time out for the sweeping acoustic loveliness is James Yull and 'This Sweet Love'. Like a mildly entertaining house party gate-crashed by a pair of lairy, highly strung teens; Men’s Make It Reverse brings with it a brisk raunchiness since lacking.

'Solo' from Chew Lips should be a remix or at least The Yeah Yeah Yeahs if they experimented with incessant synth bleeps, that it’s not is a glowing testament to the sheer vigour and inventiveness of this East London electro pop outfit. You know dear reader, I’d tell you what Heartsrevolution’s track is called, but it’s written in Far Eastern symbols so I am unable to translate. I do hope you understand. What I can tell you is if a sleep deprived four year old was allowed near a microphone to drop vocals over a lullaby then it would probably sound like this; childish brilliance in other words.

Bizarrely, even a silent encore is featured, after which Maybb’s 'Touring In NY' feels like a repeated sonic slap in the face and features nightmare inducing dark, disturbing robotic vocals and throbbing electro. After which, 'Rhythm' from Renaissance Man sounds distinctly tedious, even with its echoing, Mr Oizo-esque breakdown. That the compilation should climax on tribal music from New York with Bejan from Tanlines pretty much sums it all up, that no one track should stand out leaves the effect of a well judged DJ set. In effect, the main feature of the CD is its own fresh simplicity, of having pretty much anything and everything on the one CD and leaving it to its own devices.