Customer Reviews

Resuscitation

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this one without having heard anything by the artist other than a remix of Fischerspooner. However, I'd seen their name listed alongside a number of artists I'd been listening to lately (the aforementioned Fischerspooner, Ladytron, Felix Da Housecat) so I had a *rough* idea of what to expect.

What I got wasn't quite as similar to those artists I'd imagined. The basic ingredients (a mix of 80s synth/electronic influences and more modern electronic dance music) are the same, but there are subtle differences. After all "80s synth" is a remarkably broad genre to choose from, with everything from richly produced "warm" material like Martin Rushent produced Human League to the bleakness of John Foxx, Gary Numan and very early Human League. Similarly the more modern influences can vary too - Ladytron and Fischerspooner draw on a more recent breed of dance music than Felix's acid house leanings do, and Adult. seem to go back further still, with their dance roots firmly planted in the likes of classic Detroit techno.

It's not for everyone - the vocals (a female monotone) will put some off, I'm sure. Yes, Miss Kittin does the female monotone thing too, but she does a "I'm a Swiss sex kitten who is too cool to actually sing" female monotone, whereas Nicola Kuperus' vocals have a certain harshness and suggest you might be able to pop her face off and see circuitry inside.

It's cold, crunchy carcrash music, angular, alienated, abstract and lyrically opaque. Ancestors include The Normal's "Warm Leatherette" and John Foxx's "Metamatic". I can also hear strong hints of the more melodic side of earlier Severed Heads ("Power Circles", "4WD") poking through in a few places, although that might just be an equipment thing.

In case you hadn't guessed, I rather like the album. It was the only thing I had in my car CD player for the best part of a month. It's probably one that'll be of limited appeal to contemporary dance music fans who don't know their ancient history, but if you've got an idea of where the music came from, where it is now, and where it's been in between, and you've got a fondness for at least two of the three, it's definitely an album to check out.

Why the import pricing, though, Amazon? It's on a Detroit label, after all, I'm sure there must be a US distributor that carries it.

Oh, and as an aside, if you've bought this album and enjoyed it, you might also want to check out another release on Adult.'s Ersatz Audio label, Le Car's _Auto-Biography_. It's in a similar vein (there's overlap in band personnel), albeit more strongly oriented towards the techno side of things.

other people have already summed up this album very well, so I just wanted to add my 5 stars.

i saw adult. live several months ago and they brought the house down. not only that, but after their show they walked right to the back of the club and sold all their own merchandise (t-shirts, buttons, etc.) themselves. they were friendly and completely down to earth. a great buncha kids, if you ask me.

i must also question why this CD is listed as an import.... adult. is from Detroit, as is their record label, on which this album is released.

anyone with at least a passing interest in the new-wave revival or electroclash (or whatever its being called this month) is advised to pick up this disc.

I am deeply infatuated love with this cd.

I grew up on punk & new wave back in the day. I still remember picking up Gary Numan's albums and being blown away by how cool & futuristic he sounded. The same with Kraftwerk and Human League and New Order.

I never thought that style of music would come back in style, but somehow, Adult remakes and remodels electronic new wave into something fresh, sexy, urgent, and pumping.

The beats and riffs are phat. The computerized vocals are sleek, seductive, and robot-cool.

This is music for sex-obsessed cyborgs and ... androids. There are a lot of groups remaking new wave right now. I've heard a lot of them (Chix on Speed, Miss Kittin, Le Tigre, Cex, etc), but IMHO, Adult is the best of the lot.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes one artist better than another. It's just something magical that happens when the right beats are topped with the right melodic riffs, vocals, and melodies. Adult most definitely has the goods.

Adult has made me love new wave synthesizers again, and that's something of a feat. Buy this and dance your robot [self] around.

There's some fine electro on RESUSCITATION, no doubt about it. But the vocals can get tiresome. Sure, on certain tracks ("Lost Love," "Contagious"), they add an icy sheen, but on others, they're just plain annoying. Vocals are supposed to add texture, especially when you consider the incredibly textured music going on, but these vocals simply add the same texture all the time, and it can get dull. Instead, focus on the music itself, which takes the cake. "Hand to Phone" moves in so many directions that your attention is constantly redirected (the lyrics say, without irony, "She talks to you in monotone..."). The toes get a-tappin' when they hear the instrumental "Mouth to Mouth," and the fingers will be a-snappin' with the dark and dense "Pressure Suit." So while I won't dispute the musical pleasures of this album, don't get me started again on the lyrics.

ADULT rules! They are the best new electro/wave band of the year. Not only is the music darkly upbeat it takes on a video game quality with all its sounds and melodies. If you don't own this CD , you are missing out on a new wave of musical genius.Every song on this album is great. Check out Ersatz Audio, their label ,and the Disco Nouveau compilation for other songs by them

Adult is a delicious blend of synth and fantabulous vocals. The Detroit based(non-foreign) group is responsible for fun times @ Start! Boston- Makeoutclub.com aswell as many tasty beats when driving down Rt. 28 in Salem, NH. It is one of the best post 80's analog-synth albums currently available @ Newbury's (13.88 no s&h). Enjoy....Very hip/ catchy and de-Lick-able

This album shows the most potential for the modern "Electro" scene, even though this album is years old (2001), it is still one of the best examples of this very spotty genre. Adult's "Anxiety Always" isn't near as good as this album. I would start here or get Tiga's "Mixed Emotions" cd. Check tracks > Pressure Suit and Lost Love.

If you're not interested in simple laid-back Techno or Dance Pop reminiscent of the 80's New Wave, you might throw away this album. But if you're, you should check it out.
Detroit-based The Adult manage to combine hilarious & sarcastic pop sense of Devo with simple & agressive beat-juxtaposition of Detroit Techno perfectly in this album. The Old-fashioned synthsizer melodies and the cynical voice of Nicola Kuperus remind me of Devo and The B-52's. However, the sound is basically much more sophiscated and palatable than the old stuff.
I'm sure 'Resuscitation' is the highest quality of homage to 'Old School' Techno in the 21st century. Bloody good...

Adult. and everything on the Ersatz Audio label is amazing. If you like electronic music at all, or even if you don't but you want to expand your punk rock sensibilities a little, you need this. Need more convincing? The ersatzaudio site has lengthy song samples from this album and other band info, including songs from 1/2 of Adult's previous band Le Car, another must have.

Adult. does it a little harsher and more old school than the likes of Ladytron, but that doesn't mean the songs aren't accessible. On the contrary, the songs have fun beats and solid synth hooks. There are no sweeping textures or multilayered pieces; Adult. writes songs that are direct and minimal feeling like music from some formulaic stage of electronic music that never actually existed. The vocals, as one would expect, are dispassionate and robotic though more distorted than the norm in this scene. "Hand to Phone" is perfect for the dancefloor. "Minors at Nite" is a bleepy, analog stomp. Other standouts include "Pressure Suit" and "Dispassionate Furniture" (nice title).

The album is highly recommended for fans of electroclash and industrial but probably not for techno/Ibiza pinheads. I think there would be an odd appeal for fans of punk too. If Devo were still making music and had a girl lead singer, they'd likely sound like this.