Eye Contact

Gang Gang Dance | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 10, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: 4ad Records
• ASIN: B004OT7PTC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,957 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Eye Contact, Gang Gang Dance's first album for 4AD, was recorded in an old church converted to a recording studio in upstate New York, with a myriad of chimes, drums and good vibrations. Chris Coady was behind the board to capture the impromptu jam sessions as well as the structured songs the band had on hand when they started, while Alex Epton aka XXXchange, focused on vocals with Lizzi . When combined, we have the cleanest, freshest and most focused Gang Gang Record to date.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Our Gang Gang, May 26, 2011

By 

s.t. (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eye Contact (MP3 Download)

Like so many offbeat or experimental bands, each successive release by Gang Gang Dance finds them sporting a progressively accessible sound. "Eye Contact," GGD's fourth proper album, is not only accessible, it's "pleasant." Compared to their past work--even immediate predecessor "Saint Dymphna"--this is practically Easy Listening music for them; spacey synths undulating through leanly arranged melodic numbers, each track flowing perfectly into the next as if it were a Paul Oakenfold mix.

Is this cause for panic amongst the GGD fan base? Hopefully not. While this one certainly is as smooth as a whale's tail, the spacey feel is closer to Cocteau Twins than Enya or Moby. And it's still inimitably, unabashedly, a Gang Gang Dance creation. As with past albums, percussion still takes precedence here, so "Eye Contact" is not some dippy trance mix; it has some great rhythms, from the crashing dubstep of "MindKilla" to the skittering "Sacer" to the thunderous stomp of "Thru and Thru." And Lizzie Bougastos is as colorful a vocalist as ever, turning "Adult Goth" into a stoner-friendly Bollywood anthem. That may sound silly, but the song's beauty and emotional heft totally transcend any campy trappings such a reference might hold. Such is the power of Gang Gang Dance.

The seamless synthetic approach to the album's production does give "Eye Contact" a deceptive feeling of sameness, not to mention of fluffy superficiality. Subsequent listens, however, reveal the character behind each song. Admittedly, I was initially underwhelmed, but now I can't get enough. Similar to Stereolab's "Dot and Loops," an impressive and ambitious album eventually comes out of hiding. Just give it a chance, let it get to know you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars your life is half of what it could be if you dont own this album, November 26, 2011

By 

thekid - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eye Contact (Vinyl)

eye contact was my introduction to gang gang dance and what an introduction it was. the vinyl has some of the coolest artwork of any album that ive ever seen and the music is freaking phenomenal. your life pretty much sucks if you havent heard this album and vinyl is the way to do it.

5.0 out of 5 stars A more mature, expansive Gang Gang Dance, January 10, 2012

By 

Ryan Estabrooks "ryanestabrooks . com" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eye Contact (Audio CD)

(Taken from by blog at http://ryanestabrooks.com)

On "Eye Contact", Gang Gang Dance have proven that they are willing to grow, willing to adapt, and not afraid to show not only their experimental side but even their pop-sense of songcraft and writing. The synths swirl and the guitar jabs guide you up and down the stairway of psychedelic noise. There is a clear focus to this album, perhaps more focused than their previous albums have been. And just like how a little focus worked wonders for Pink Floyd (who went from the messy "Obscured by Clouds" to the monumental "Dark Side of the Moon"), it works to this band's favor.

They now have direction, a target to aim their experimental weapons toward. It's not commercial by any means at all but the music they made here is easier to fall into than previous attempts, easier to grasp and more than anything, easier to see how talented this bunch really is. The care that went into this album bleeds through the veins of each song; these are clearly musicians who love making this music as much as they love letting us explore it.