mvsc

‘Politics doesn’t make strange bedfellows, marriage does.’ – so said the great philosopher Groucho Marx. On first impression MVSC could appear to be a strange marriage. An unexpected matrimony of styles, background and mode of operation - but like all great fellowships (Fantastic Four, Jagger & Richards, Michael Knight & KITT…), their strength is cemented in its members’ complementary skills, rather than mirrored bedsides. Let’s take a closer look, starting with a simple dissection:

MVSC = MONTEVIDEO VS COMPUPHONIC

MONTEVIDEO A band founded in 2003 by two best friends and two brothers. After a shaky start dabbling in ska-crossover territory the foursome’s energized, guitar driven anglopop and electronically charged rock found them a devoted underground following and the band fast became festival darlings in their native Belgium and neighbouring countries. Montevideo’s 2006 self-titled album was received with critical acclaim, support slots for The Rapture and Muse confirmed their one-to-watch status.

COMPUPHONIC Moniker of Maxime Firket; fulltime wizzkid, disc jockey and producer of lush, crystalline electro & house tunes. His output gained DJ support from major players such as DJ Hell, Marc Romboy, the legendary Francois Kevorkian and Tiga, who deemed Maxime’s studio labour good enough to release it on his very own Turbo Recordings. Martin Solveig and Aussie hipsters The Presets recently commissioned remixes.

Compuphonic the dj/producer and Montevideo the band found common ground at Dirty Dancing, without competition the most fashionable and musically versatile club Brussels-by-night has to offer. Compuphonic is one of its resident beat selectors. Montevideo performed there during many a night and singer Jean Waterlot is good friends and part-time mixing partner with its host Cosy Mozzy. Alas, not so strange bedfellows after all!

SUNDERLAND is MVSC’s first lovechild. A playful and ambitious album that refuses to be pigeonholed. There’s the obvious pop charm that hints towards Franz Ferdinand or Phoenix, plenty of synths and sequencer fun like the harmonies-laden Fat Boy, the funky no-wave influences in The China Man but also echo’s of Think Tank-era Blur in The Game You Never Played.
Album highlight High Hesitation sounds like The Rapture auditioning for a Sergio Leone spaghetti western and 80s outsiders like Captain Sensible and Chaz Jankel spring to mind on the wonky and fantastically nutty Your Greatest Ever Lay and How To Be Good. No surprise there, coming from a band who counts Madness among its influences!

So, if there is anybody who object to these two artists to be joined in musical matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace!