Gus Gus - "Starlovers"

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This song is an exercize in sneaking up on the listener. It starts with a tinny percussion loop, adds in some sick synth bass, then kicks into a fairly mellow beat. As the vocal comes in, more low-end synth noises slip in, shoring up the foundation and supporting the song while preserving the hollow groove. Suddenly, you hit the chorus and you've got treble trills all floating around you while a gospel chorus praises the way you shake your ass.

Having said all that, "Snoozer" just kicks this song's ass up and down the block, doesn't it?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 4 April 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Remind me where "Snoozer" is found again. Brainlock.

"Starlovers" is all you say it is and more. "You are only in your teens" = one of the most brilliant lines ever, in context.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 4 April 2003 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"Snoozer" is track 7; again, you've got a percussion loop starting things off, but this one has an odd synth-scratch noise in it. Then you get drum loop/PHAT mellow bass/soft background synth fills/AWESOME vocal "Let me off your psychic cloud/'Cuz every time I go around/I sink deeper into you unconscious mind/And your warm heart muscle" and the chorus is a muted "I'm a real life snooooooooooooooozer" just floated in the ether.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 4 April 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Things are seriously wrong because we live in a world where Gus Gus aren't international superstars.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 5 April 2003 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Is this the first album?

Have you got the latest Dan? I'd been meaning to do a thread, it was a real slow burner, a great little album, one of my favourites from last year. The song "David" is an absolute stone cold classic. I heard the first album once but don't own it, is the one you're talking about the massive Underworld style belter? That's the one I remember being told to listen to by my mate wherever it was that I heard it.

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 5 April 2003 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

It's the second one, _This Is Normal_; I don't remember a massive Underworld-style belter on _Polydistortion_ but there are a couple on _TIN_ ("Acid Milk", "Love vs Hate").

I've listened to _Attention_ a couple of times and you're absolutely right. The more I play it, the more I love it. I was going to really dive into this weekend, assuming I can pry loose the deathlock "American Life" has on my brain.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 5 April 2003 13:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah I thought Attention was the second!

David has been played out alot, that synth line is irresistible. The Medicine8 remix of it is worth hearing too. I also like Call of the Wild from Attention. I'd like to see them live.

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 5 April 2003 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude, you've GOT to check out their first album!!! "Gun", "Believe" and "Polyesterday" are all stone classics on the dance tip, plus they've got some really creepy stuff in there like "Is Jesus Your Pal".

"Believe" sounds like "Don't Walk Away" by Jade crossed with a 303 gone berzerk.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 5 April 2003 13:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I think my brother has it, I must get a copy. I just realised Dance You Down is used on about ten million commercials.

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 5 April 2003 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

five years pass...

Anyway, what Dan said at the start.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 18:12 (sixteen years ago)

And what he said in the fourth post too.

― I am using your worlds, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 18:22 (sixteen years ago)

three years pass...

you are in love with something that'll tell you who you are

― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Thursday, 21 February 2013 19:07 (twelve years ago)

if I was going to POX Gus Gus it would probably be:

Starlovers
Gun
Believe
David
Call of the Wild
Superhuman
Dominique
Why
Snoozer
Hateful

― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Thursday, 21 February 2013 19:09 (twelve years ago)

I don't really understand the resistance to them.

― djh, Thursday, 21 February 2013 19:12 (twelve years ago)

David & Call of the wild are both such joyful songs

― I am using your worlds, Thursday, 21 February 2013 19:13 (twelve years ago)

xp: my guess is that even during the heyday of Daniel Agust and Hafdis Huld, they successfully stuck to their "we are an evershifting collective of artists" mandate to the point where ppl felt they were somewhat anonymous and personality-free, even though the songs themselves are exploding with personality

― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Thursday, 21 February 2013 19:15 (twelve years ago)

Yeah pretty much. It's hard to get a sense of Gus Gus as a band; you could hear multiple tracks of theirs and not realize it's the same group. I never thought they got their dues either. "Teenage Sensation" is the song I find myself returning to the most nowadays, it seems to fit well on mix CDs.

― Vinnie, Thursday, 21 February 2013 21:49 (twelve years ago)

Overall I think This Is Normal is their best album, still

― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Thursday, 21 February 2013 21:54 (twelve years ago)

Kind of surprising that being on Kompakt hasn't boosted their cred.

― brimstead, Thursday, 21 February 2013 22:24 (twelve years ago)

the main thing I've noticed since they jumped to Kompakt i they've started releasing music better than Forever

― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Thursday, 21 February 2013 22:29 (twelve years ago)

arabian horse was a monster record, i'm really looking forward to whatever's next.

― adam, Thursday, 21 February 2013 22:44 (twelve years ago)

seven years pass...

Things are seriously wrong because we live in a world where Gus Gus aren't international superstars.
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, April 5, 2003 5:02 AM (seventeen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

― scanner darkly, Monday, 19 October 2020 03:05 (four years ago)

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