Alluding to Grandmaster Flash

Only a short entry for today, folks.

Just over a week ago, Chris wrote about “Discovering Discovery.” I’ve also discovered Discovery recently—specifically, the song “So Insane.” (I know, I’m pretty late on this). But a buddy of mine played me this track, and I instantly dug it.

Why do I like it so much? Good question. I often don’t really dig the new electropop out there. I’ve never really gotten into Animal Collective’s mucho hyped Meriwether Post Pavilion, for example. Yet Discovery’s “So Insane” gets me with its infectious, distinctly retro beat. When I first heard the track, the first thing that came to mind was the Grandmaster Flash classic “The Message.” Seriously, Discovery’s beat sounds like it’s right out of the 80s, with its undisguised use of a classic drum machine and the repetitive synth chords on top. The texture is strikingly bare, lacking the lush, synthetic soundscapes that characterize much of today’s indie pop. Yet the vocals are clearly of contemporary times, with electronically enhanced harmonies, and when the song slows down, it thrusts itself more firmly into the new millennium.

A great song on its own right, “So Insane” is made all the better by alluding to classic 80s beats like those of “The Message.” Check out both tracks, and enjoy.

Discovery – So Insane (YSI) (filesavr)
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – The Message (YSI) (filesavr)