Audio Video Disco

Justice | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B005LB1MY6
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,116 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #98 in Music > Pop > Euro Pop > French Pop

Track Listings

1. Horsepower

2. Civilization

3. Ohio

4. Canon (Primo)

5. Canon

6. On'n'on

7. Brianvision

8. Parade

9. New Lands

10. Helix

11. Audio, Video, Disco

Editorial Reviews

2011 album from the French Electronic duo. The duo is known for incorporating a strong Rock and Indie influence into their music and image. Features the singles 'Civilization' and 'Audio Video Disco'.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely not Cross, but most definitely Justice October 24, 2011

By Tatiana Taylor

Format:Audio CD

Before you read the negative reviews about this album, because I am sure there will be many, keep the following in mind: Most people who will have listened to this song will be EXPECTING the same songs from Cross. You have to listen to this album without dwelling on Justice's first album. Don't let that become a hang up. Also they probably listen through it once and then gripe about it rather than listening to it a couple times and really soaking it in. This is completely new material and at first I was taken aback and thought "Where's my Justice?" but the more I listened to it the more I could hear them.

Now on to my personal review. This album is a great synthesis of classic 70s rock and electronica. Truly a match made in heaven. You still get your great heavy synth parts that Justice is known for, but there is a lot lighter synth play in this album. They said their previous album was intended for night and this one is intended for day. It's fun and it's lively. It doesn't take itself too seriously. That being said there is still a lot of depth. Rather than relying on a bunch of samples they focus on melodic structures of rock songs. Seriously if you love ELO and bands like them you'll love this album.

I've been listening to it non-stop today already and I almost enjoy it more than their first album.

Give it a chance and enjoy this fun new direction. If you want the same old music over and over, listen to the same album. Don't complain about artists not progressing and sounding the same and then go crazy about it when they actually do.

Best songs: Helix, Civilization, Horsepower, and the hidden track at the end of Audio Video Disco. The album is worth that hidden track alone!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Justice Returns...to the Past October 27, 2011

By ObiWanShinobi

Format:MP3 Music

Here's the thing....

A.) If you bought Cross, loved it, and are expecting the exact same album (i.e. some really awesome, but super-heavy slammin' electro) then there's a really good chance you're going to be disappointed.
B.) If however you generally like Justice's sound, and can expand that past the strict definition of the first album, then you're going to like this.
C.) If you're a "B" and you also happen to like classic prog-rock like Yes, Asia, and Rush. Then prepare to totally absolutely love this album more than life itself.

Me, I am somewhere betwixt B+C. So while I would have loved a Cross "2.0" I still really, really dig this album.

Whereas Cross was an in your face mesh of classic Parisian house and heavy electro, this album is more of an homage to classic progressive rock. Which makes this a little bit more heady on the conceptual level. The "problem" with that is that you end up with a mix of songs that you can't exactly dance to...from a group that got big on the dance floor. And while I like to dance to Justice, I also just like to listen to them.

So if you really like good interesting music the latest offering from Justice will totally float your boat.

Best tracks to check out are in my opinion Helix, Civilization, On'n'On. For a taste of what I mean by prog-rock homage check out "Parade".

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Going track by track October 26, 2011

By Sean May

Format:MP3 Music

It's been four years since the French electronic duo Justice delivered their masterpiece, Cross, and today they're back with their highly anticipated follow-up, Audio, Video, Disco. The lead single from the album, "Civilization" was classic Justice, with a pounding beat and a theatrical epicness that one would expect from Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. Since "Civilization" debuted, though, snippets of other songs have leaked to mixed reactions. Now, with today's release of the full album, I'll go track by track to see just how Audio, Video, Disco stacks up to Justice's other work.

1. "Horsepower": It starts out nice, with a growling guitar much like that on "Civilization", the song it proceeds. Along with some brighter synth portions as well as some darker strings, it's a good way to kick off the album. The song's good, but it acts as a prelude to Civilization and doesn't stand out on its own quite enough.

2. "Civilization": You've all heard this one before, but it bears repeating that "Civilization" is just a damn good anthem. The guitars erupt and scream on the track, and the whole thing has a brilliant grinding tension in the first minute of the song that ends up in an electronic explosion, with a heavy beat kicking in and sending this song into outer space. This one's better than a good number of songs on Cross, and will definitely be spinning at clubs for years to come.

3. "Ohio": ...the can't be all great, though, right? It's really the lyrics that mess up the song. Repeating "Ohio, Tennessee, California, Endlessly...right on" over and over again, just what are they trying to say? I know electronic music isn't exactly known for having lyrical depth, but the lyrics just feel so disjointed from the song underneath.... And that's a shame, because the instrumental part of the song is quite nice, something that you can enjoy in the (mostly) lyricless last minute of the song.

4. "Canon - Primo": Just a little harpsichord-ish intro to the proper "Canon"

5. "Canon": This one reminds me a little bit of Daft Punk's "Robot Rock" with its heavy guitar riff (something that seems to be a trend on this album). The song has a real drive to it, with synths, guitars and thunderous drums fighting for sonic space throughout the track.

6. "On'n'On": The singing on the track sounds like some long lost vocal from a forgotten 70s vocalist, combined with a strings happy Justice dropping something a lot more melodic than the previous tracks behind it. It works really well, and is probably one of the most newcomer-friendly tracks Justice has done so far. It also ends with a huge outro that glides seamlessly into the next track...

7. "Brianvision": Not a whole lot going on in this track. It's not that it's bad or anything, but it's also not good. Seeing that "Canon" and "On'n'On" really delivered the goods previously, this song can be forgiven for being a bit of a lull.

8. "Parade": I'm really getting a Queen vibe from this album as I get deeper into it. Aping the stomps and hand-claps from "We Will Rock You" as they do on this track, I'm guessing it was intentional. The song also includes some welcome weirdness, with the audio inexplicably dropping out for a couple of seconds right before the end and a glitchy, staccato intro, but the middle feels a little limp, like it's trying to get by on the Queen vibe they set the song up with.

9. "New Lands": This one starts off sort of uninteresting, without a whole lot going on at first other than a falsetto vocal on top of what sounds like an alternate take of "Civilization", but at around the 2:30 mark, the song shifts gears and starts accelerating on its own and really working by the time it's done.

10. "Helix": The chopped up vocal snippets on this are nice, giving the song a vocal punch without dominating the song. But the guitar that does dominate the song sort of sounds like a variation on the same riff that has been pervading the rest of the songs. The riff itself is good enough on its own, but I feel like Justice is leaning on it way too hard, especially at this point, ten tracks in. Even though the song does another gear change toward the end, it just doesn't deliver

11. "Audio, Video, Disco": The harpsichord from "Canon-Primo" returns here on the final track to lead us into a chaotic, heady, bass drum heavy send-off in the final track on the album. All that chaos burns off by the end of the song, but I'm not sure if it's the best way to go. I would have liked for Audio, Video, Disco to spend its last few minutes really blowing the windows off, but it doesn't. It instead chooses to ease into something quieter and quieter until it's just done. Maybe if there had been some more real bangers on this album it would have been a welcome come down, but as it stands, it's more disappointing than relaxing.

So, there we go, all eleven tracks laid out on the examination table. The only songs that I had a major aversion to were "Ohio" and "Brianvision", just because they seemed so lazy and uninspired. The other songs, even though most of them had parts that didn't deliver, at least had some portion that redeemed them enough to warrant a second listen.

As for my impressions of the album as a whole, I think it marks a change in Justice's overall feel, and it might have been designed to deliver a hard kick against the people who expected them to deliver another Cross. It's not Cross, far from it, and right now I don't think it's as good as Cross, but it does stand on its own as a strong album that has the potential to grow as you listen to it more. I think a lot of Cross fans won't be happy with Audio, Video, Disco, but I think as the years wear on, and Justice hopefully takes less than four year between each release, this could fit in well as we watch Justice evolve from house DJs with massive beats to maybe something more refined and subtle.

The album is for the most part a three star work, but there are moments here, of great brilliance, that add the extra star for me. A lot of people will be disappointed that they're not just re-hashing Cross, but I'm happy they're not Read more ›

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the Justice you're used to, but Justice you can still love October 26, 2011

By Max Clark

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me preface this by saying I've been listening to this album for a few weeks prior to making this review, and it has certainly made a difference. When I first listened to the album I was confused and a bit angry. It's in Justice key, and you can hear the signature Justice modulator/syth here and there, but that's it. It turns out that this is an album that grows on you.

It starts with Civilization and Audio, Video, Disco, as these are the stars of the album. I was quite shocked at Civilization when I first heard it. My taste for music is for the dirty and powerful, which was all of Cross (minus D.A.N.C.E.). Once I became comfortable with it, however, it became very powerful, much in the way of Cross, but brighter. Audio, Video, Disco is the same way, albeit it reminds me of a heavier Daft Punk's Around The World.

If you are new to the album but loved Cross, I'd start off with Brianvision, Horsepower, and Canon. A quick aside; Canon (Primo) seriously reminds me of Led Zeppelin. Canon is just a great instrumental song. If you like Cross, you will like this song. It's one of the most powerful and raw songs on the track. Brianvision reminds me of The Brainwasher/Voyager in Justice key; it's a fantastic song as well. Horsepower is Justice's version of a day at Laguna Seca. First, and uplifting pre-race beat, then the beat goes mean. The chorus starts, the lights turn green, and a powerful 70's riff puts you back in your seat. The song finishes with a 1st place podium riff. Definitely one of my favorite songs on the track.

Now for the songs that will need tasting like a fine scotch - Parade, New Lands, Helix, On'n'On, and Ohio. Parade is still close to traditional Justice, but much happier. It literally sounds like parade music.... A song that you'd want to get drunk and yell "NA-NANANA-NA-NANANA" with your friends. New Lands is where it gets different. The intro is straight up AC-DC, which turns into a powerful progressive rock chorus. Suddenly, you find yourself in a Rush solo. It's a well done song, just not in the typical Justice style. On'n'On is a hard song to describe. Earlier 70's, strong and happy chorus. You'll just have to listen to it. Helix is where Cross and A,V,D are on two different ends of the spectrum. It is a good song, but it screams 70's workout sequence to me. Again, one that is difficult for me to explain.

Ohio... Yes. Ohio. I hate 1/3 of this song, sit well with 1/3, and my most favorite part of this album is 1/3 of this song. The beginning is annoying. The states have nothing in common with anything, the syllables sound awful, and his voice doesn't match the song... Until the second 1/3 of the song. The back beat starts matching him, and the song starts to make sense. This is all fine and dandy until the break happens, and then the most glorious, dirty, fat, beautiful synth comes upon you like antibiotics to the plague. It's glorious. Listen to it.

Overall, I would recommend this album, although I would have preferred a harder/more electro album. It's different and well done; completely solid. Definitely an album that needs some time to sink in, but once it does it satisfies. If you are a little shy, follow my recommendation of songs to listen to above. It may be easier than plunging into the icy water.

Eager to hear what people think about the album. Read more ›