(Gomma / EMI)

Danish disco / punk-funk trio Whomadewho have already attracted considerable attention, thanks to the breakway success of their debut ‘Satisfaction / Flat Beat’ cover versions 12”, storming remixes for labelmates Munk and most recently, the hit success of their latest ‘Space For Rent’ single, which made its way into the record box of many a reputable name. Much has also been made of the fact that the three different members come from diverse musical backgrounds, drummer Tomas Barfod being known as one of Denmark’s top techno DJs, guitarist Jeppe Kjelleberg having spent time immersed in NYC’s avant-jazz scene, and bassist Tomas Hoffing dividing his duties between Whomadewho and Danish garage-rock act Garbo. It’s perhaps because of these diverse musical leanings that this debut album (released late last year and finally getting a local release thanks to the good folks at Hussle) manages to take in a palette of influences that’s far broader than many of the releases currently swelling the ‘punk-funk’ bin to bursting point, traces of surfrock, folk, blues and even country rearing their heads amongst the familiar propulsive snares and bass riffs.

Opening track ‘Rose’ beautifully illustrates this case in point, with an elastic ESG-esque punk-funk backing of propulsive bass and rolling cowbells fused smoothly with fuzzed-up garage-rock guitars and layers of burbling streamlined electronic elements that take things out into Italo-house territory, some stray sitar-like tones gathering around Kjelleberg’s Euro-accented vocals as he repeatly intones “But does she have a girlfriend?” and vaguely psychedelic rock tinged backing vocals trail away into the distance. ‘Space For Rent’ ensures the momentum is smoothly maintained, vaguely country-blues flavoured guitar bends trailing away over a crisp, bouncy disco-funk backing that sits somewhere between The Rapture and Datarock as Kjelleberg’s airy falsetto vocals add a Ziggy-esque touch of glam androgyny bolstered by epic-sounding analogue synths, before ‘Hello, Empty Room’ injects a jerky sense of funk that’s reminiscent of early Talking Heads, with Kjelleberg directing his ire at the empty room that mocks him, before resolving to fill it with someone who makes him (and the room!) happy, as jagged guitar bursts, disco synths and fluid cymbals build things to an uplifting peak. ‘Out The Door’ meanwhile easily represented one of my favourite moments on offer here, with metronomic drum machine rhythms giving way to one of this album’s widest bass grooves, Kjelleberg’s falsetto vocals colliding with the angular guitars and disco-punk beats in a manner that suggests a more groove-focussed, European tinged incarnation of !!!; synth disco freakouts and all.

‘Cigar’ meanwhile calls to mind Beck in one of his more retro-rock oriented moments, Kjelleberg’s vocals almost sounding like a deadringer for Mr. Hansen as burbling Italo-house-meets-disco synths fuse smoothly with stinging blues-rock guitar riffs – at points, it’s almost like Air if they’d been on the happy drugs instead during their wilfully difficult ‘10,000Hz Legend’ period. ‘Small Wonders’ takes things way out on a blissfully languid country-blues tip that suggests Lemon Jelly’s pastoral atmospheres at points, with even a banjo making an appearance amongst the lush fusion of guitars and lazy vocals, while spiralling instrumental track ‘The Loop’ flirts with acid techno atmospherics, deep burbling TB303 basslines making their way alongside rolling cowbells, tumbling programmed electro synths and a subtle hint of Italo-house ambience as delayed-out blues guitar bends stretch out lazily against the electronic elements. Finally, the tracklisting is nicely capped off with the addition of the previously released cover version of Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’ as a bonus track; with the original’s arpeggiated tech-house replaced by the sort of jagged garage rock backing Soulwax would kill for, complete with duelling Mockney thug and diva vocals, it’s sure to be a highlight for many who missed the 12” the first time around.

An excellent debut album from Whomadewho that shows the Danish trio combining their considerably diverse musical backgrounds to create an album that thinks far further outside the established cachet of ‘cool’ New Wave influences than most comparable outings. In many senses, this is the sort of record Headman’s recent new album should have been, and definitely deserves your investigation.

Check out http://www.whomadewho.dk and http://www.gomma.de.