When Wellington-based Juddy first heard Love Junkie by California-based Sonnyboy he was so inspired that he started recording similar music himself. From there it was just a simple matter of contacting Sonnyboy and suggesting they collaborate on an album together, and this is the result. In these days of the internet it is much easier for artists to collaborate without ever meeting, and this certainly does not sound as if it was recorded in different geographical locations as there is a depth here which sounds much more as if the artists were working together in the same place. I have not heard the album which started all this, but do know Juddy’s debut, and in many ways, I was surprised at how different this is, as here we have a group which sound as if they have been influenced by Tangerine Dream and Depeche Mode and then put that into an instrumental pop context while also keeping somewhat of a close eye on where it could fit elsewhere.

Also, there are more instruments on this album, with distorted guitar making its presence felt very effectively indeed on Ruse Control. In many ways this is a step change from Juddy’s initial release as there is more depth and breadth within it (still has that annoying electronic percussion though). The two have bounced ideas off each other, truly collaborating, and the result is an album which touches on different musical genres which could well gain it some interest from different areas, with Night Time Rascals an obvious one for the dancefloor. Yet, the somewhat abrupt change in tempo and style near the end will undoubtedly confuse quite a few. There is a strong sense of purpose and direction throughout this, and they are content to break even quite short songs into different sections if that is the best way to approach then, which makes them far more interesting and relevant. This trans Pacific partnership definitely has legs and I am sure we will be hearing more from them in the future.

Rating: 6/10

Links:
https://chaddingtonstreetmilkcollective.bandcamp.com/