The problem with anthological works is that they lose touch way before they covered as much ground as they meant to. This is especially true when you decide to put out a colossal 2-disc compilation of a genre as sunken in identity crisis as electro has always been. In the various diasporas of music, electro has evolved dually into the glorious b-boy hip-hop of the 80s and, one decade later, the eucalyptus-like electronica that almost dried out any chances of rocks reemergence.
"The Kings of Electro" tries to document that period in time by adding the proper soundtrack to a 2-and-a-half-hour history lesson. Interestingly enough, the kings of electro featured here are not the most obvious ambassadors of the genre. Indeed, it takes a long while before Afrika Bambaataa shows up in the compilation – and he only does so as a sample on the shattered, almighty "Al Nafyish" by Hashim. All numbers sound surprisingly fresh as if delivered as part of a contemporary DJ set.
Never has the dancefloor-oriented Model 500’s "No Ufo’s" glued so well to The Fearless Four’s electroclashed "Just Rock". The set also features a little interlude every now and then, and while it’s not a proper recess, it certainly feels like one. The anonymous instrumental track played just before Ryuichi Sakamoto’s "Riot in Lagos" is like an internship for the intricate but loose ambitions of the Japanese adventures in hi-fi.
As the first disc comes to an end, you can actually visualize the eyeliner and lipstick of later days that will come to the forefront. Let us not forget all the various seeds that electro has sown, notably synthpop, techno, and a more complex hip-hop. The last chapter of our first essay has dub written all over it. High Fidelity Three’s "B-Boys Breakdance", Deee-Lite’s "What Is Love (Holographic Goatee Mix)", and finally Junior Wilson’s take on "Dock of the Bay" are all steroidal, smoked-out highlights for late night/early morning consumption.
Unlike its predecessor, the second disc doesn’t need a walkthrough as it manages to be less distractive and briefly more uptight. Obvious highlights include the opening track, "Neurotic Behaviour" by Psyche, Azzido Da Bass’s "Dooms Night", and "Radium" as done by Acid Jesus.
Sometimes schizophrenic, often faintly encyclopedic, but always self-conscious, "The Kings of Electro" does more for electro than any stinking downtown club. Not that there’s anything wrong with night life. But sometimes it takes a statement like this to put things into perspective.
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