Staple Of The Dance Scene
Parisian duo Justice first hit our radars courtesy of their remix of Simian's 'Never Been Alone' since then they have steadily become a staple of the dance scene and as such it comes as something of a surprise to discover that only now are we receiving their debut album. Unbelievably it's been three years since Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Auge aka Justice first blasted us with their experimental remixes since then they have charmed their way into our dance feet with further mixes of Simian's 'We Are Your Friends' a track that stormed the dance floors without any apologies becoming an anthem that refused to sulk away quietly until it had every pair of feet moving to its beats. For a duo that initially started playing about with beats for a hobby, concentrating more on their graphic design careers than that on the music industry, Justice have certainly come from no where and taken the dance scene by the scruff of the neck and if their debut album is anything to go by they aren't about to release their grip just yet.
Kicking things off with an epic sounding introduction, the aptly named 'Genesis' boldly opens as the French duo proceed to announce 'Let There Be Light' with the following track. However, it's left to the sugary coated 'D.A.N.C.E' to truly herald the pair's entrance as the eclectic mix bursts into life boasting vocals from a London children's choir led by the calm and confident vocals of eight year old Felix. Yes, Justice's debut album is unlike any dance track you're likely to hear this year and it is all the better for its eccentricity and rebelliousness, after all what other dance act could claim that they wrote the song about Michael Jackson let alone go on to add children's voices to such a track! From this they go on to whack us with 'Stress', a song that hits you from all directions with meaty beats that bounce playfully before running into the grinding abrasiveness of 'Waters Of Nazareth', a pure unadulterated piece of classic house that shows the magnitude of the duo's skill. Sadly missing though is the Simian hit 'We Are Your Friends' which arguably would have been an added bonus. That said, the way in which the Paris pair have delivered and arranged their debut it is hard to see where they could actually place the track, although perhaps dislodging 'Valentine', a below par offering from the pair could have been an option.
After being on our radar for three years Justice have finally put aside their graphic design careers and delivered an album they always promised they could. Guaranteed to liven up dance floors up and down nationwide, the Paris duo have proven that there is more to them than some Simian remixes, as brilliant as they may be.