(Ghost Music/MRA)

With their own independent record label (Ghost Music), an impressive first EP (Collusions) and a club smash (Bass Buffer), Brisbane lads ‘Statler & Waldorf’ can now put another tick in the box, this time for the release of their debut album ‘AndroNovaVirus’.

Coloured in breaks, electro, progressive, rock, trance and dnb, the underlying theme here is dance floor work-out. The pace is swift but never too frantic and their is variety aplenty on both the instrumental and vocal front. The opening track ‘You Again’ shows hints of Underworld with its gently slamming progressive beats and whispering digitised vocals, a steelier technoid edge emerges during ‘This is Chemical’ and the title track ‘AndroNovaVirus’ suitably takes us on a tribal-trance trip. ‘Way With Words’ featuring vocalist ‘Sarah Blasko’ is a soothing addition and the rock version of ‘Duck ‘n’ Cover’ contains more than enough driving basslines and flatulent breaks to carry you out to the very end.

Not having heard a lot from this duo in the past, I knew little of what to expect, but I found this to be a really satisfying listen from beginning to end. I look forward to their next release which is already in the making.