Boys Noize hasn’t slowed down since he started bringing his own flavor of electro to thousands of fans at a time all across the world. Oi Oi Oi woke us up in 2007, and Power kept us going in 2009. Since then, Alexander Ridha, aka Boys Noize, has been producing all sorts of new material in-between playing for packed crowds night after night. His collaborations with Erol Alkan spawned the song “Lemonade,” which took dance floors by storm; and his EP release as Dog Blood (on OWSLA Records), which was a collaboration with Skrillex, uprooted a shockingly good mix of electro and dubstep (defined loosely, of course). But it was time for something we could really sink our teeth into.
Out of the Black is Ridha’s next step, pushing Boysnoize Records up another notch — and bringing dance music up another level.
What seems like a collection of recent Boys Noize songs, rather than something that needs to be listened to from front to back to really appreciate, this album shows a very expansive Ridha, bringing his signature sound to tracks that each have their own vibe. From electro bangers and powerful melodies, up to harsh, rocky beats, and down tempo to some hip-hop collaborations, this album has it all.
“This is what you want … this is what you get.” Anyone who had seen Boys Noize live over the past couple months preceding this album’s release probably had this intro memorized already. The opening line of “What You Want” sounds like it holds the power of the entire album, teasing the listener while letting us know that we will not be disappointed. The beat unfolds into a song slightly resembling a mix of Daft Punk and Justice, all while retaining that Boys Noize feel.
The album keeps rushing forward with “XTC,” another one that any Boys Noize fan has probably been eagerly awaiting after hearing it thrown into recent live sets. The slightly unnerving vocal, “Ecstasy, one for me,” builds into one of the best lose-your-mind-and-dance moments that I’ve heard in quite some time. “XTC” and “Stop” are the two tracks on this album that have the potential to be show-stoppers for quite some time.
Songs like “Ich R U” (“I R U” in English) and “Reality” slow things down a bit and show a more powerful and melodic side of Boys Noize. With the vocals “Ich R U” in mind, thoughts drift toward the connection of humanity, while the composition of “Reality,” reminds me of a beautiful piece of music similar to something Bob Rifo of The Bloody Beetroots might make.
Ridha brings out a more harsh vibe with “Rocky 2,” leaving behind the smoothness of “&Down” and “Lemonade” for a more jagged listening experience. This is quickly followed by “Circus Full of Clowns,” which along with “Got It,” a collaboration with Snoop Dogg, throw some hip hop into the mix. But this isn’t your average hip hop song. No, sir; this is definitely Boys Noize through and through.
To finish things off out of order (as I said, you don’t need to listen to this album front to back), Ridha’s collaboration with Siriusmo, “Conchord,” has a solid first two minutes, and then proceeds into one of the greatest builds on the album, starting around the three minute mark. This relatively simple melody may seem unimpressive at first, but as the songs builds, things quickly reach throw-your-arms-in-the-air levels. This song stands alone on this album; none of the other tracks share a common vibe. It is just a solid track on its own, which stands as a good point for this entire record.
Previous Boys Noize albums:
- Oi Oi Oi (2007)
- Oi Oi Oi Remixed (2008)
- Power (2009)
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