CD, BOREDOMproduct, 2007
www.celluloide.online.fr
Hot on the heels of their excellent “Bodypop EP”, French synth-poppers Celluloide have now returned with a their new eagerly awaited full-length “Passion & Excitements”. Lying somewhere between Synthpop, 8-Bit, Electro and even a small slice of EBM, Celluloide are a band that are unmistakable in their sound. Not only does the diversity and experimentation of their music allow them to travel roads that a lot of other bands would deem too leftfield, they have also succeeded in creating an instantly recognizable sound all of their own along the way.
After hearing the “Bodypop EP”, I was intrigued to hear how the newly added elements of EBM would work in the repertoire of the bands ever progressing sound. Suffice to say, it has not only added a whole new dimension to the music’s overall presentation it has in fact, improved it immensely. Tracks such as “Still Here”, “Incommunication”, “Emptiness”, and “Translation Of Love” all show signs of a harder, edgier and more confident Celluloide, one that I hope is here to stay. This newly found take on their music is evident on a fair few tracks on the album but pleasingly, it doesn’t become overbearing enough to swamp what we have come to know and love as ‘the Celluloide sound’. There are still some classic-sounding Celluloide songs to the release such as “Make Things Last” and “Intraliquid”, both of which are clear representations of how the band have evolved from the two previous albums, “Naïve Heart” and “Words Once Said”. The music itself is still of a very upbeat, bleepy , and robotic nature and the vocals are still in essence quite cold but the more you listen to the album, the more you realise how much this band have developed.
As a side note, people that buy the limited edition version of the album are also treated to the fantastic “Bodypop Clubmixes”. This is a five track remix disc showcasing Celluloide as you’ve never heard them before. With remix duties provided by The Three Cold Men, Foretaste, EDP, Communication Zero, and Dekad, each mix takes selected tracks from the “Bodypop EP” and reinvents them to fit into the category of another electronic genre (i.e. EBM, Industrial, Techno, New Wave and Electro). This is a great companion piece that perfectly compliments what will hopefully be considered a great album for the years to come.
[9/10]
— Paul Marcham