Death Disco: Yuksek, Acid Washed, Visions Of Trees

After far too many heavy nights during the New Year period some detox is in order. Thankfully, Acid Washed are on hand to provide a cleansing splash of their luscious disco sound at the Arches for the first Death Disco of 2011.

The Parisian pairing of Andrew Claristidge and Richard D’Alpert have recently emerged with a distinctly Gallic sound, yet one that steps away from the heavier Ed Banger electro of the late noughties. Instead, they take inspiration from nineties French touch as well as cosmic disco label DFA. Their sound has already attracted the interest of Sebastien Tellier’s Record Makers label, on which they released their self titled debut album last year. The seal of approval from one of France’s most eccentrically brilliant musicians has to be an excellent indication at such an early stage of their career. Their euphoric signature single, again self-titled (clearly their imaginations are limited to the music), saw a huge clamour for remixing duties with a wide range of strong productions; from the eerie, space electro of DANGER to Mickey Moonlight’s swirling, summery interpretation of the track.

The duo’s passions aren’t limited to music though, as they demonstrate a strong fashion and art consciousness, which is led by British designer Anthony Burrill who acts as artistic director for Acid Washed. All of the art for the two-man process shares striking, geometric visuals, from the album sleeve through to their visceral live show. The connection with Burrill has even led to Acid Washed providing the soundtrack to shows on London Fashion week, apparently astro disco was the perfect backdrop for after-show parties full of pink poncho wearing models. They certainly strike you as an act in keeping with the alternative Death Disco ethos, refreshing the club’s crowd for the new year.

Continuing the night with even more suave Gallic flair will be Yuksek, a man whose career has been on a soaring trajectory following the release of his 2009 album Under the Sea. Tracks such as Extraball and Tonight landed straight on to countless dancefloors, while Yuksek’s on-the-road package has also gained him a fine reputation, with fiery live sets and regular appearances alongside countryman Brodinski as half of the Krays DJ pairing. Coming from a more pop orientated background Yuksek’s sound is similar to that of Acid Washed; rather than heavy electro club bangers he offers a deep and multi-faceted style of music, with disco grooves and hip hop beats complimenting his effortless pop hooks.

Acid Washed and Yuksek will be joined by London’s practically indefinable Visions of Trees, who promise to bring an undeniably unique quality to the evening. They’ve certainly been described fairly colourfully so far; whether witch chill is more fitting than ghost step is perhaps open to debate, but either sound might mark new territory for Death Disco, which is quite the feat for such an experienced club.