Hot Chip
Made In The Dark
EMI


'Made In The Dark' is only the third full-length for British quintet Hot Chip, though the chameleonic combo has been hard at it since the start of the century. Granted, the pace has quickened considerably since 2004's 'Coming on Strong', the group's debut LP. By the time 'The Warning' and its hit single Over And Over dropped in 2006, Hot Chip had exploded through to the mainstream. Rather interesting is the group's list of remixed artists; in the last two years, more than two dozen artists have received the Hot Chip treatment, including Kraftwerk, !!!, Caribou, Matthew Dear, and Amy Winehouse.

Now, take that short list of remixees, and keep in mind that Hot Chip has always displayed a knack for mutating song forms, and you get a fair idea of the terrain - some of it new, some of it already familiar - explored on 'Made In The Dark'.

Hot Chip's constant flitting with genre is what endears the group to its audience, and indeed what might frustrate it. From the micro-house and minimal techno sounds ala Matthew Dear and Kraftwerk to the kind of woozy psychedelia repackaged by the likes of Caribou's Dan Snaith, Hot Chip has constructed - subconsciously or otherwise - a record full of stylistic gear shifts and u-turns.

The sparer songs, some of them resembling ballads - soulful, light enough not to grate -work just as effectively as the more hyperactive tracks. Be it a glowing Rhodes piano or a whizzing synth, the melodic components of this record sound great. There are indeed a few dancefloor pumpers on this disc but there are some nice surprises too, such as the barebones handclap rap that is Wrestlers.

But what, may we ask is preferable: 13 variations on one of Hot Chip's several identifiable themes, or a stack of Hot Chip styles placed side by side? 'Made In The Dark' is fun, elastic and despite its variety, surprisingly congruous. Perhaps the answer comes from the pen of Taylor himself. "What is it? I don't remember/ made my being so much better/ if I could have just one pure thought", he sings with a funky rhythm track, slowly unravelling synth tones and scores of voices trailing behind him.

This deluxe 2-Disc version of 'Made In The Dark' comes with a DVD of five live performances totalling almost 30 minutes running time and the packaging alone - gatefold digipak, raised artwork, gorgeous colour scheme - is well worth the plunge.

Lenin Simos