2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great mix of old school style and today's nu-electro sounds, June 24, 2003
This review is from: Mission Impossible (Audio CD)
Agency X mixes the best of the late, lamented Avant Garde and the criminally overlooked davidmahr for a really fun spin through Vince Clarke style synthpop. Lars Wallden and davidmahr collaborated on this project, and despite having never actually met in real life, their styles seem to mesh perfectly. Like some other recent entries from the underground synthpop genre, Agency-X explores that 1981 sound. But unlike say Gary Flanagan or I Satellite, the Agency step beyond the art-school approach and fully embrace the Top of the Pops sound found on OMD singles and Wonderland. For example see "Happy Together," which practically sounds like a follow up to "Oh LíAmour."
I know that some (many?) might sigh and cry "retro," but there is something to say for being able to successfully operate in a specific idiom, being fluent enough to fool the natives as it were.
I think the best thing about this album is how it really plays up the strengths of the two collaborators. I always found the music side of davidmahr to be his one (just slightly) weak spot and Avant Gardeís handle on lyrics to be their weakest link. Agency X seems to cancel out those deficiencies with great aplomb. See "At the End of the Day" as a prime example.
I would recommend this, I Satellite's Auto:matic and Gary Flanagan's Future Fashion as 2003's best old school synthpop albums.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
fun fun fun, October 30, 2005
This review is from: Mission Impossible (Audio CD)
What a fun album. Sounds like early erasure yazoo etc. If you like fun bubbly synth get it.
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