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DAMAGED
(CLEOPATRA)
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These guys can’t sing at all, and their voices lack verve and presence, but they know a lot about Eurodisco, techno, and house music, and they use it all, in every manner of combination, sequence, and sound effect, and the result is a ton of pleasure for those who know their 1980s disco history and like hearing some of its high points (Tantra, Erasure, Depeche Mode, Robert Miles) quoted liberally in Razed in Black’s somewhat darkish interpretation of classic European dance music. There’s not a boring, indecisive, or unfocused moment anywhere on this two-disc set: the hooks keep on hooking, the beats run, leap, explode, and repeat. The effect of Razed’s splendiforous sonic embroidery is a lustful one. And sometimes — in "Misunderstood," "There Goes My Mind," "Share the Passion," and both mixes of "Blush" especially — the lust blossoms into passion, almost a heartfelt one. Given the lengths to which Razed’s music goes to hide its vulnerabilities, even the steeliest dancer will cherish these moments in which the band shine an emotional spotlight on themselves.
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