Music
24 Jul 08

Big sounds from Derry hopefuls

Everything about Derry electro three-piece Japanese Popstars’ debut effort is big. It’s got big beats, a big sound, big production and most importantly, big balls.

We Just Are is a gutsy record, especially in these times where commercial dance music has waned a little. Sonically not straying too far away from the territory once inhabited by bands like Orbital, DJ Curntables, Decky Hedrock and Galo have delivered a world-class debut that’s not afraid to pin its colours to the mast. Album highlight is the future anthem ‘Anthepic (We Have Taken Over)’ – but picking just one track is misleading as the whole thing is a blast from start to finish. Will We Just Are be the album to bring dance music back to the heady heights of the late 90s? Who knows, but if anyone deserves to break into the mainstream and turn everyone Japanese, then it’s this lot.