First Album

Miss Kittin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Emperor Norton
• ASIN: B000062Y9I
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,937 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Life on MTV

2. Frank Sinatra

3. Walk on By

4. 1982

5. Stock Exchange

6. You and Us

7. Flexibility

8. L' Homme Dans l'Ombre

9. Slow Track

10. Nurse

11. Stripper

12. Walking in the Sunshine

13. 1982

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Kittin, a former French pole dancer, and Hacker, a one-time hardcore headbanger, combine forces in a decidedly sleazy niche, but it does make for disarmingly catchy music. Its simple New Wave synth beats and Kittin's (a.k.a. Caroline Herve) deadpan delivery make it easy to imagine you're lounging in a Eurotrash strip joint, circa 1977, as scantily clad dominatrixes torture willing customers. The 1997 single "Frank Sinatra" is more shocking for its spot-on electro atmospherics than for its lyrics, proving that Hacker's punk years were a valuable tutorial for success 2002-style. Throughout, Hacker spins weird little theramin squirms, horror halo tones, and chunky beatbox handclaps, while Kittin discourses about trading sex for cash ("Stock Exchange"), ambitious disco queens ("Nurse"), and, of course, the burlesque life ("Stripper"). First Album is really a one-song affair, but its alluring message is so kitschy, kinked, and campy, the song never sounds the same. --Ken Micallef

Product Description

The reigning queen of the new wave/electro revival, Miss Kittin's debut with partner-in-crime The Hacker, proves to be a Miss who is distinctive enough to take the 80's-influenced genre to innovative levels. Mixer Magazine has included the artist in their

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dark 80's synth comes a clawin' with Miss Kittin, June 25, 2002

By 

Christopher R. Cicatelli "cicatelli" (bethesda, md) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Album (Audio CD)

hey music freaks. well, if you're readin' this review, you are either interested in this cd or you already own this great album and you want to see what other folks wrote.

lemme tell ya, this minimalist techno album is fantastic. it will have memories of 80's music go screamin' through your brain. it reminds me a bit of Yaz with attitude...the dark half of yaz...the bitter, rough cornered, a bit ragged side of Yaz. Miss Kittin herself has a unorthodox voice that carries loads of "attitude" and plenty of tongue in cheek jabs. the pulsating synth music marches right out of the middle 80's, but it does so in a way that will sound new...it's really a fun cd to listen to. a buddy of mine let me hear a few tracks the other day, and i was hooked...i had to get this summer gem. trust me, one listen to this First Album, and you'll want to hear Miss Kittin's techno purr for a long time to come.

peace,

cic

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot-Rod Brilliant, March 3, 2002

By 

Oneshin Aiken "hombre" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Album (Audio CD)

What's the NYC - Berlin sound?

Sexy... smart.. A minimal electro treatment of 80's new wave with sexy, smart, and provocative lyrics.

Power politics with a female attitude...

This album will make you shake...

Request from the DJ at the next discotheque you dance at...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun, December 11, 2002

By 

bowery boy (seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Album (Audio CD)

Miss Kittin & the Hacker sound as if two of your best friends bought a Moog, a Roland synthesizer and a Casio keyboard from a thrift store, set up shop in a garage and started to pump out 80s new wave grooves. You can't really say the music on here is 80s inspired because it sounds like something you would pull off your dusty shelf of 80s new wave records. Rather it's 80s imitation and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

For those who weren't around or barely remember the music of the 80s, this will come off as something fresh and new. Primitive synthesized beats and the flat bored vocals of Miss Kittin (purrrrr . . . it's worth buying the CD just for her). For those like me who fondly remember the music of the 80s, this will seem cute and kitschy yet somewhat tired at the same time. The synthesized beats ARE incredibly primitive by today's standards and it can be a bit hard to listen to straight through. However, when it's good, it's really good.

'Frank Sinatra' is the track most are familiar with. Although it's not a very strong track Miss Kittin's tongue-in-cheek deadpan delivery of the naughty lyrics makes it worthwhile. However, in my opinion the three strongest tracks are 'Walk on By', 'You and Us' and 'Stripper'. 'Walk On By' is just Miss Kittin and the Hacker throwing down a nasty turbo trance groove with a sample from Front 242's 'operating tracks'. 'You and Us' is their dark and twisted tribute to Yaz. The beats are incredibly similar to Yaz's track 'State Farm' from their second album 'You and Me Both'. Coincidence? I think not. 'Stripper' is a subtle take on Depeche Mode. Even the "Hey, hey"s of the chorus are sampled from Depeche Mode's `fools'.

All in all this a fun party disc not to be taken seriously.