Bridging the gap between lo-fi geekiness and hi-fi glamour
ry4nbook3r | Brooklyn, NY United States | 04/05/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If a couple of teenagers from Middle America were to have received a synthesizer and a drum machine purchased from Radio Shack for Christmas 1982, and then set about recording their own new wave album, based upon what they had heard of Kraftwerk and the Normal, with lyrics inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, the result would have probably sounded somewhat similar to Crossover. A blending of the lo-fi, proudly geeky aesthetic of early/mid-90's indie rock with the high-tech glamour and cool of the new millenium return of electro, this may be, no pun intended, the first record to cross over from the New York City-centered indie techno ("electroclash", if you must) scene into the indie rock scene at large.
Recorded by two Big Apple-based models-turned-musicians onto a 4-track, with the use of only a single keyboard and electronic drum pad, Fantasmo seems poised perfectly between the indie-music culture of the 90's and that that has so far developed in the present decade. Both black-plastic-glasses wearing, math-rock-listening avant-geeks and blazer-with-jeans-wearing new-electro-listening urban hipsters should find something to appreciate amongst the simplistic beats, sparse-yet-effective keyboard lines, and lyrics torn from the pages of dime-store sci-fi and fantasy novels.
With the exception of a couple somewhat uninspired tracks, every song is a catchy-as-hell piece of fractured pop brilliance that will work its way into your consciousness and stay there for days, if not weeks. Buy this now, so you can brag to your friends about how far ahead of the curve you are when six months from now every scenester kid in America is namedropping Crossover alongside The Shins, Ladytron, and other indie bands du jour."
DISKO/WAVE/ELECTRO BEATS YUM
P. Sartre | Washington DC | 10/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is mysterious and eclectic. There is a hint of new wave, disko, electro and old skool beats involved. They have got to be my favorite electro-"trash" band around. THey rock and they rule. Cant wait to see them live at CLUB ELECTRICK in LA Oct. 19th!!!!"
Repetitive but still relevant.
Frédéric Malouin | Montréal, Qc, Canada | 01/10/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Crossover could have been one of the most boring electro act ever with their ultimately constant, repetitive songs. But, with an uncomprehensible manoeuver, they sound fascinating from the start until the end.Titles like Lady Dragon Slayer perfectly illustrate the paradox that fuels Crossover's music. The melody and the beat remains the same during the whole songs, the only thing modified being the filter over the principal synth. A synth that have a catchy sound, a lovely melody that will stay stucked into your brain for some time to come. Over this base, spoken vocals are layered with echoes and surprise amplification, along with storm sounds. The result is destabilizing, printing itself deep in the listener's memory. It could have been totally boring, yet the experience is hypnotizing and highly enjoyable because of the efficient, exceptional production of this album.Of course, this album is ultra repetitive. But through each endless loop, the music stay relevant and entertaining, which makes it even more sensational."
