Django Django

Washed up on the Nile, sand in the eyes and dazed. Confronted by Arabian knights on horseback and taken to a sheltered oasis taking in the alien surroundings. If this is a scene that may appear in the future, Django Django’s eponymously labelled debut album would be the soundtrack to complement it.

Such is the abstract nature of the record, tagged as ‘indie’ but probably the last genre to pop into the head of the listener, vivid images and surroundings will manifest themselves in the listener’s mind thanks to an impeccable production and tight musicianship.

Formed in Edinburgh and currently based in East London, Django Django have crafted a real gem that stands as a highlight of the year. Drummer-producer David McLean has created a world of mystique through the album, all elements of the songs contributing to the adventurous, gypsy scene which conjures an arid desert feel.

You can almost feel the heat through the sandpaper production, scrappy beats and languid shuffles pervade songs like Hail Bop and Zumm Zumm. The band sounds experience, not the patchy debut delivered by most fledgling acts. The masterstroke of the record, however, is the way a fusion of space rock is planted in the desert soundscape. Default, one of the early singles, is driven by a 1960s rock thump, but is interspersed with synths that combines mystique with raw rock ‘n’ roll.

Folk rock and blue collar are covered, which with a splash of country make up the unmistakeable Firewater. The highlight of the record is WOR; a tour de force of stomp, dance and a gladiatorial call to arms. Turn it up to eleven – there is no other way to hear it! Skies over Cairo sums up the opening description in this review – intricate rhythms and grandiose synths flood the Egyptian scenery, rolling imagination into a stunningly absorbing world of marvel.

Named as the No.2 album of 2012 by BBC 6 Music, Django Django is a must buy and a treat for lovers of expansive and original music. Indie has been reinvented...