PowerDance - The Lost Art of Getting Down

PowerDance
The Lost Art of Getting Down
2018
Spotify

The idea of a House or Disco DJ has faded from what it once was. You don't hear people on the mic much anymore unless they are telling you to get up, jump or do some other nonsense. The occasional track will push through that hearkens back to a bygone era of vinyl and the DJ being the absolute king of what's happening. Powerdance is aware of that history and wants to celebrate it, but they do it in such a way as to never slide into plain ol nostalgia. The music is heavily influenced with LGBTQ+ themes, really one of the last segments of culture who continued to keep disco alive. This album is intense in it's scope but easy in it's roll out. Because Powerdance are more of a collective than a unified group the music can often switch vibes and emotions somewhat suddenly, but the entire record moves together so well that you can hardly notice. The opulence and indulgence is all over this record. "Dance Electric" with it's clearly Bowie inspired vocal worms through this crazy fun track until it closes out on this strings line that takes it to a totally different place. Each new moment is some new exciting thing, some idea you never thought of streaming into life. "We Came to Funk" is another record where you clearly hear the Prince vibes streaming through, but the song doesn't feel like his, just influenced by him to becomes something else. Yet they manage to nail the Prince groove and his wild electronics. I kept checking my notes to make sure these weren't just covers that were slipping by me, but these are incredibly originals.

The Lost Art of Getting Down is about just that, putting a beat on the floor you can move to. It's the beginning and the end of this record. Dance feels like the absolute heart of this record rather than a superstar DJ or instagram post. This record wants people to connect on the floor and it's that dedication that makes the record so strong. On "Muscle Groove" they sound a bit like Confidence Man who's record is absolutely blowing up on festival stages. You can just imagine the fun to be had a Powerdance show, the lights, the indulgence and the fun would make it simply amazing. From disco to post-punk this album goes everywhere to find avante-garde versions of dance music and sits on those pockets creating incredible sounds that nearly force you to get your body moving. When you see this kind of art blasted through the disco lens it is just so exciting. A great late summer surprise to try and hold on to those waning long nights. Put this on, and get your ass moving.

8.5 out of 10