Django Django – Django Django

Recorded entirely in drummer/producer David Maclean’s bedroom with nothing but rickety gear, Django Django, a London-based group of former Edinburgh College of Art students, release a debut record that sounds more like a desert-borne jam. To dismiss the Djangos as ‘art rock’ or ‘trip psych skirmish’ (the latter I’ve entirely invented) might be incredibly easy, but sloganeering does nothing to describe their complex sound.

Calling to mind the respectable company of The Beta Band (of which Maclean's brother John was a member), Found and The Phantom Band, Django Django is an album overflowing with creativity, yet it retains a simplistic feel. Polyrhythmic lead single Default’s minimal instrumentation and catchy yet frustratingly unsingable hook is a perfect example of this combination of simplicity and inventiveness. Skies Over Cairo platforms their tongue-in-cheek approach, with synth parts evoking Arabian nights and harem vocals intermingling over methodical, driving bass kicks. A strange, unfathomable record that begs for many more plays.