Swedish indiepop/electro act Don Agbai are streaming a new track at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/donagbai
The group is also looking for a new label now that is no longer around, so interested parties should get in touch.
This is a nice, fizzy electropop CD that goes down smoothly. The Swedish trio serves up five tracks, including the peppy and melodic "Barcelona 2002 (All I wanted was a postcard)" in a radio-friendly pop version as well as an extended dance remix. It's a great song, as is the opener "A trip to Venice". Although there's certainly an '80s influence here in the thumping beats and rhythmic synth work, this disc doesn't really sound retro. The pleasingly casual vocals and impeccable sound give the recording a zesty, fresh vibe. Band members Johan, Tobias and Fredrik perform with an enthusiasm that leaps from the grooves and I can't imagine anyone not liking this disc unless they're just indifferent to dance pop in general.
- Kevin Renick
I openly admit to being a pop princess, but even I need to shake my corduroy-clad booty every once in awhile. And this is just the sort of thing that will have me shimmying across the kitchen floor, waving my pot scrubber as if it were one of those goofy glo sticks. "Apart" is especially fantastic. Slip it into the stereo at the next family get-together, and you might even convince your 13-year-old niece that you've got a bit of cool in you yet. Play her "Enough" and you can also feel smug in the knowledge that you're being a good influence by contributing to her sense of female empowerment. You may already know Otur as Emma Bates, one-third of The Lightbulb Project. Her former bandmates Christina Roos and Hanna Göransson went on to form Swedish girl group Cat5, and unsurprisingly the two projects share a similar sound. But there seems to be more substance here than the Cat5 hits of the moment, "Sexy" and "Stretch and bend". A bit too much substance at the end, actually, as she tried to take me somewhere I wasn't prepared to go, at least not without a good hefty supply of chemical stimulants. Overall though, it's a winning blend of DIY electro-pop and ethereal vocals that will not only appeal to the closet dance diva – I suspect the boys will also appreciate the sweet innocence of Emma's honey voice.
- Stacey Shackford
I'm still not totally wowed by My Enemy, but I'm not ready to give up on them yet either. Their debut EP "Elil" showed promise, but ultimately fell short and it's kind of the same story with these two more recent releases. But! My Enemy continues to get better with every new CD. The songs and, more importantly, the production are steadily improving. It's especially apparent on the remix tracks from "Khreis" where you can hear other folks who are able to tap into the songs' potential and transform them into something greater. I like where they're going, but they aren't quite there yet. Keep an eye on 'em - I've got a strong feeling they'll figure it out.
- Avi Roig
Ah, the punk-rock 7". Such a quaint relic of a bygone era. Same goes for the Born Against t-shirt worn by the band member on the front cover. Not that punk can't still be vital and important (I'll always love Born Against and support the DIY scene), but as they openly acknowledge with the song "Heard it all before", they aren't really doing anything new. Thankfully that's not the sole qualifier for good music because we'd be screwed. So if you're feeling nostalgic for grrl-punk such as Huggy Bear, check these kids out. It's not mindblowing, but I think it's good to hear that the spirit of that time lives on.
- Avi Roig
The mix of acoustic and electronica is more and more present, but rarely mastered. My Enemy try really hard at getting something going, but most of the times the two universes clash and don't work towards a common goal. While the melodies and the songs are really good, the instrumentation and arrangements work about half the time. Manitoba's "Up in flames" is within reach but they are not quite there yet.
- Simon Thibaudeau