Scratch

One of the albums I own in physical form, this brilliant album has inspired many artists (including Porter Robinson) because of it's unique style. If it's the first time you listen to any of these songs, you may not appreciate it fully at first, but soon, you understand what made this a spectacular album of 2007.

After the disappointing Audio, Video, Disco album (in my opinion) I've stuck to the classic album † and decided to give my second album review, after Deadmau5's For Lack of a Better Name. This was Justice's first album and the duo Justice consists of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, both from France.

Released in 2007, the highlights from this album were Genesis, Phantom Pt.I and II, D.A.N.C.E, DVNO and their first single; Waters of Nazareth. Genesis was the most popular, frequently hitting pop culture, even to today.

Genesis

The first track, and it's quite an opener. It's epic intro of some brass instruments makes it sound like an epic battle. Then the electronic part of the song kicks in, with a distinctive disco feel that follows during the song. This is kept up throughout the song and isn't repetitive a bit. I love to listen to this song again and again even if it is only four minutes long.

9/10
Sure, it's only four minutes long, but they were trying to appeal to an audience that weren't used to 10 minutes songs (like me), but aside from that, this is perfect - no wonder it's used so much!

Let There Be Light

This follows up from Genesis with a quick drum loop, before the melody starts - before being accompanied by a similar sounding wobble. All during the song, the song slowly builds up, as bass guitars, different variations of the loops and even a breakdown are added to make sure that there really is light. This really fits in with the disco theme, but the wobble doesn't quite fit in.

8/10
I love this song, and all the different loops that make it up, however, the wobble just doesn't really fit in with the song. Still, great disco feel and the right length for me.

D.A.N.C.E

I'm not a particular fan of pop (exceptions of La Roux and early Black Eyed Peas) but I love the vocals of D.A.N.C.E. It also starts with a old TV distortion for the first verse which gives the song an authentic, disco feel. Now for the negatives. There isn't much disco in this song, it's more subtle. And where there is, it's usually a little less subtle and between verses.

5/10
The vocals are nice and sweet, but not much of the Justice feel to it - more bass guitars and violins.

Newjack

I'm not keen on the first part of the song, but the song does improve. There is alot of Justice's disco feel to Newjack, but the intro sounds like Skrillex - just without the dubstep; a mixture of loops that doesn't make sense. It's also one of the shortest, being only three and a half minutes. However, once the intro fades out of the song, it becomes much better.

6/10
The intro is annoying, but an aeroplane divides the good and the bad - literally! Yay?

Phantom Pt.I, II

I've done these two together because they are the same song, just following different paths. These two are both based on the same loop, Phantom Pt. I relies more heavily on the loop itself, while Pt. II is more about the chords. Unlike Newjack, the loop isn't a mashup of loops, but is instead some chords played by a machine-sounding electronic instrument. Both are equally as good, but Pt. II has more of a disco fell, rather than Pt. I.

Pt. I
7/10
This interprets the loop as more of a machine sound, but still has that Justice feel - unlike D.A.N.C.E.

Pt. II
8/10
It doesn't feature the loop as heavily as Pt. I, and is shorter, but sustains a disco theme more consistantly than it's predecessor.

Valentine

The shortest track on the album (two minutes), I didn't need to shorten it when I used it in an animation! But don't let this length fool you, this is a disco breakdown in audio. It has a more chilled sound, with organs and echos everywhere. It then breaks down in the way it started, with a echoes beat.

9/10
[i]Sends chills down my spine, in a good way. It's chilled atmosphere is a welcome change from the other songs - but an extended mix would've been nicer.

The Party

It starts the same way as Valentine, but this starts with a melody built by a chord, similar to the one used in D.A.N.C.E, and the vocals of Uffie - who sounds eerily like Ke$ha. The melody is built up during the first verse then a classic sounding chord, this is then followed by a break which introduces Justice's heavy beat tunes. Then the verses start again - with swears. I couldn't have expected anything more from an album in the 21st century - everything has swears nowadays.

8/10
Put it in maths: (Ke$ha soundalike + Justice) + Typical Ke$ha = This.

DVNO

More lyrics? Anyway, this starts straight away with that heavy beat beats from Justice and echoes - an violins. Justice can't get enough of violins. Despite the fact that the chorus makes no sense, it's catchy nevertheless. It also has a breakdown after the first chorus, where it's only the vocals - before the melody shoots back in. A welcome change from the lesser songs in the album (Newjack, D.A.N.C.E).

8/10
[i]To quote the chorus; "DVNO, four magical letters!" They truly are in this great song, filled with Justice magic, violins, bass guitars, claps and vocals.

Stress

As I listen to this song, the wavy intro hurts my ears - and so does the rest of the song. It has alot of industrial songs, stress, tension and headphone RIP. This is the black sheep of the album, it doesn't have much of a disco feel, or Justice's heavy beat style. It's like Phantom Pt.I, it relies heavily on the intro loop - not good.

4/10
I don't want to sound self-bias, but this song isn't catching the happy, heavy beat theme of the other songs, but more of a factory. Not even Nero's remix (titled Angst) could save this.

Waters of Nazereth

Don't be put off by the strange noises from the intro, with Xavier saying, "...the song "Waters of Nazareth," which does not sound like disco when you listen to it for the first time. But if you forget that everything is distorted, the bass lines are just really basic disco patterns." So it still has that disco feel, and the classic Justice heavy beats - but it does get quite repetitive until the organ comes in.

8/10
Another great song by Justice, but does get quite repetitive, until the organs come in for the breakdown and outro.

One Minute to Midnight

The last song, and it concludes with a echoing melody made by a similar sound to Phantom Pt.I, II's leading loop. It is then followed by an electric guitar (preview of Audio, Video, Disco?). These two are then followed by a manner of different electronic instruments - giving the album a solumn finale. Also, a similar loop from Genesis' intro is included too - that epic battle trumpet soundalike.

9/10
A great way to the album, adding different bits from the other songs while they're at it.

I love this album, and how it's different from many other electronic albums I've listened to. This 'opera-disco' album really does feel unique in this world of dubstep, house and big beat. It never gets old and each song sounds different in it's own way. Whichever song you heard from this album from another source, every is bound to have liked one song.

Also, read the BBC's review here!