Juan Maclean - DFA Radio Mixes - 2005 - Part 3

Biography of Juan Maclean

There's been plenty written about how former Six Finger Satellite fella Jean Maclean was persuaded (for persuaded read'fan-boy bothering') by DFA's James Murphy to re-enter the fray and put out some solo material, with 'Less Than Human' the long time coming album release. With all but one track co-produced by the DFA mob, it may come as some surprise to those not familiar with Maclean's ouvre that this isn't another cow-bell toting NYC punk/funk stew, and is instead a predominatly electro pickeled affair that's a proper dance-floor agitator. Album opener 'AD 2003' sets MacLean's stall out perfectly, as swooping 80's soundtrack effects run headfirst into a barrel of choppped vocals that negotiate their way around all manner of studded beats, synth stabs and Blackdice glitter. Mayfly-like in duration, this soon gives way to 'Shining Skinned Friend' wherein a Joy Divison warehouse bass is peppered with trademarked DFA beats (think The Rapture covering LCD Soundsystem) and an isobar thick vocoder that all sounds how you imagine Daft Punk would have if they hadn't turned sh*t. Elsewhere, 'Give Me Every Little Thing' features a guest vocal from James Murphy (as well as a crafty A Certain Ratio steal), 'Crush The Liberation' wears its Georgio Moroder/Chic badges with pride, whilst 'Love Is In The Air' plunders the Norweigan electro-pop boom of 2002/2003 (The Moonflowers et al.) for consumate inspiration. Less than human? Maybe. But MacLean has produced a record which more than proves a robot can have soul.