THE RECORD CABINET

The Review

Electronic dance music entered my collection slowly because I kept waiting for it to behave like a rock band. “Da Funk” finally made that expectation irrelevant. I heard it through a record-shop system with enough bass to rearrange the loose plastic cases on the counter. Homework sounded repetitive on my first home listen, especially without a dance floor, but the repetition soon revealed small changes that function like a guitarist leaning into a familiar riff. “Around the World” is the perfect example: one absurd phrase, a bass line, and parts entering with mechanical patience until the machine feels cheerful. “Revolution 909” and “Burnin’” have more physical force, while some of the shorter experiments feel like notes left in the workshop. I enjoy that unfinished quality. The album does not ask electronic music to imitate rock credibility. It builds its own garage, plugs in different tools, and leaves grease on the floor.