XP8. X: A Decade Of Decadence. CD.

7 brand new XP8 tracks...mastered by Kolja Trelle...with guest vocals by STEWART WHO? and remixes of 3 classic XP8 hits by AESTHETIC PERFECTION, AUTODAFEH and TOM NAPACK! Two years since the experimentation of their last full-length album “Drop The Mask”, XP8 are back - back to doing what they do best: a back-to-basics assault aimed squarely at the dancefloor. Ten years old this year, the Italian duo sign off their first decade by delivering what both fans and DJs have long demanded – a no-frills return to the classic XP8-style futurepop epitomised by the 2008 album “The Art Of Revenge”. Yet this is no step back – rather, it is a very deliberate and superbly-crafted return to familiar musical territory. Where “Drop The Mask” pulled in different directions, “X – A Decade Of Decadence” exhibits a singularity of purpose: to drive the listener onto the dancefloor.

From the bass-heavy beats of “The Wound That Won’t Heal” to the social commentary of “Burning Down” (inspired by the recent rioting spreading across Europe) “X” delivers hit after palpable hit - expertly mastered by the hand of Kolja Trelle of SOMAN. The call of the rhythm has a new vigour, the production a new polish, and the vocals of frontman Marko Resurreccion a new power and confidence – yet retaining that distinctive plaintive quality that recalls a young Robert Smith (were The Cure to make dance music). This is futurepop at its finest – surely the catchiest and most accessible work XP8 has produced to date. And as if to underline these new-found commercial credentials, “X” also finds XP8 reunited with STEWART WHO? – the instantly-recognisable voice of WAYNE G’s platinum-selling club-classic “Twisted” – for the killer cut “Trip”, following on from his live collaboration on XP8’s “Twisted” cover which was one of the highlights of the Resistanz festival earlier this year.

In all, “X” delivers 7 solid club-smashers back-to-back. But the Latin numeral “X” = 10, not 7 – and this very special release was based from the beginning on the concept of one epic track for every year of XP8’s existence. So on top of these 7 new tracks, XP8 also deliver brand new remixes of 3 of their biggest club hits – “Cuttin’ N’ Drinkin’”, “The Art Of Revenge” and “Muv Your Dolly” – from Tom Napack (VANITY POLICE), new Dark Dimensions signings AUTODAFEH, and scene superstars AESTHETIC PERFECTION.