Larytta

This Swiss duo of Guy Meldem and Christian Pahud may be the coolest thing to happen to weird-ass-avant-electro-poppiness since Ween. Difficult Fun is a hallucinogenic ride through an amusement park of off-kilter beats, soothingly psychotic vocals, and multi-dimensional melodies loosely strung together in a surprisingly cohesive format that keeps a smile firmly cramped on your face. “Love Love Odyssey” and “Wonder Vendor” hold things to a familiar and not-too-warped pop format in a Flight of the Conchords kinda way, but tracks like “Voodoo Things” and “Is This Cheese?” unhinge your sense of familiarity with superbly composed music abstractions and guided lyrical ramblings. Turn on, tune in, bug out. - Larytta review

One of this year’s more innovative electro-pop albums, the debut full-length from this Swiss production duo is a playful, adventurous blend of off-kilter electronic beats, African rhythms, odd noises and catchy pop hooks for a distinctive sound taking in everything from Hot Chip and Timbaland to Kraftwerk and Konono No. 1. - Don Yates

Imagine Eats Tapes attempting a booty bass jam with DAT Politics at an after-hours Audio Dregs party and you'll have some idea of what awaits on Larytta's two EPs. Hatched in 2004, Lausanne-based Larytta partners Christian Pahud and Guy Meldem have frustrated pigeonholers ever since with a mutant mix of wacky dance pop and demented hip-hop. - Larytta

Two EPs deep into kittenish micro-electronic fun, Switzerland's Larytta mix multiplacation table thythm tracks, a synthesised zoo of keysplash-stroke-cooking melody, too-cute artwork and an apparent disinclination to follow any given direction for more than a minute (which, after all, is a historic epoch in pop). Such unasked-for creativity should and must be rewarded; do so. - Larytta review

Imagine Eats Tapes attempting a booty bass jam with DAT Politics at an after-hours Audio Dregs party and you'll have some idea of what awaits on Larytta's two EPs. Hatched in 2004, Lausanne-based Larytta partners Christian Pahud and Guy Meldem have frustrated pigeonholers ever since with a mutant mix of wacky dance pop and demented hip-hop.

The self-titled debut and the new follow-up Ya-Ya-Ya provide a pretty clear picture of the group's aesthetic. Approaching the matter chronologically, “The Money” gets things off to an audacious start with a gothic blues shuffle assembled from percussive creaks, what sounds like a baritone sax honk, and vocals that alternate between a distorted croak and a flamboyantly exaggerated falsetto (“Where is the money?”). Next up is “Just in Time,” a seeming theme song for S&M enthusiasts (“Spank me baby, spank me hard”), where the staccato pitter-patter of minimal techno is derailed by a seizure attack. The writhing “Hard Terrain” suggests a viral strain of hip-hop, though the song's beat sickness and arcade squelch is contained somewhat by a calming appearance keyboard melody. Equal parts laconic cowboy joviality and electro-pop rinky-dink warble, “Rodeo” pairs neat vocal (and vocodered) counterpoint with loony drum machine business.

The sequel's as wild a ride as the first if a little shorter in length. “Mother Earth” does a pretty convincing impression of a well-behaved, stately overture but can't resist dirtying its hands halfway through with interjections of noise and free-spirited singing. The EP highlight, though, is the rambunctious “Ya-Ya-Ya,” where ear-catching harmonies and arcade-styled keyboard motif get shaken and stirred with African percussion treatments and rhythms. Though still dance-rooted in nature, “Gimme Ten Sec” almost defies description, as the vocal line's defiantly punk in spirit and the backing's a jittery bit if grimy electro but see-sawing vocal chants hijack it briefly to Africa . Quasi-classical synthesizer lines collide over a skeletal shuffle in the rollicking closer “Wonder Vendor.” Pahud and Meldem have got ideas and imagination to burn, if these outings are reliable indicators. - Larytta 2 Eps review