Review: Phil Gerus' Euro Edits Vol. 1
Make America Dance Again!
by B. McConnell
Published
Phil Gerus has been described as “mild-mannered” in some of his other press. I do not want to perpetuate a possibly negative stigma BUT it really is hard to disagree with such an apt description. My caveat: sounding proper is not a bad thing.
The latest effort from Moscow’s electro-R&B wunderkind Phil Gerus will not grab you by the shoulders and command you to move much faster than walking pace. Fine— some of my favorite tracks are played in the background at a crowded party. This EP is a collection of reworked euro-disco tracks. Gerus is deliberately not reinventing the wheel on any of these cuts. If he did the car wouldn’t drive. If you are into reworks then you will probably like this record. If you’re still reading this far into this review, chances are you will probably like this record on principle anyway.
“Agent Yuri” is a midtempo song for the discotheque. A guttural synth bass grooves through the bulk of the song. Add a more twinkly keys for lush, an absolutely gorgeous late-70s piano riff that sits snugly in the mix, and bombshell female vocals that don’t suffocate…. all of a sudden “mild-mannered” becomes a compliment. Everything is as it should.
“Mr. Hero” doesn’t quite have the same groove as the A side. Much more craziness in this one. Chanted male vocals sound remind me of David Byrne on Remain In Light. Ripper of a punk rock POWER CHORD sample that makes this track hard to forget (mild-mannered, eh???). The real standout on this side of the record is B2 – “Be My Lova”. Classic Italo-disco cut. Charmed vocals float through cosmic space. Gerus lays them over acid-house synthesizer. I am big fan of this sound. Someone get the music supervisor for Halt and Catch Fire on the phone, I have a request.
Ben McConnell listens to a fair amount of dance music. Check out his website at http://benpmcconnell.com