Rex the Dog

Rex the Dog – The Rex the Dog Show (2008)

Hundehaus

When I was a teenager in the mid-nineties (was that so long ago??) I remember dancing to a tune called Son of a Gun by JX. Actually the song was constantly on the radio and MTV showed it quite a bit.

Come 2008 and my past comes to haunt me a bit. I receive the Rex the Dog cd and I find out that the guy behind the moniker is called Jake Williams.

Who is also

Yes

JX

It seems though that Williams works under different aliases and at the moment The doggy one is the current one of choice. Williams also has quite a pedigree (pun intended) as for a few years he released music under the terrific Kompakt label.

‘The Rex the Dog Show’ is quite a strange cd, as in the fact that it’s not really a proper album and yet at the same time it is a proper album, those who have followed the band well have heard half these tracks already, plus with the addition of two remixes, one would be mistaken that this is some cobbled collection of Rex the Dog’s past work and some new tracks to make everything a bit more rounded.

Let’s forget the old tracks, the remixes and so on and look at the album as … well an album. The important thing here is if the whole thing works or is an uneven listening experience.

Well I’m happy to say that this album does definitely work and at the moment, it is the most fun thing you’ll hear this year. Williams beats are sexy and the majority of the tracks will definitely get people stomping about either on the dancefloor or simply lying on your back with headphones rammed in your ears (In fact I’m listening to the album while typing and my head is shaking like a demented puppet)

See Rex is a clever puppy (pun intended!) and makes to create a signature sound and yet manipulate it. ‘Maximize’ has a Germanic thump that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Modeselektor album, however the standout Bubbilicious , with it’s very cleverly placed Yazoo sample and Frequency, is a good old fashioned rave up, While ‘Itchy Scratchy’s’ abrasiveness is best suited for headphones. One thing these tracks have in common is a buzzing, relentless energy.

Now that I’ve dealt with both old and new tracks, it’s best to tackle the two remixes here. Needless to say that they fit in comfortably and are the strongest tracks on the record, The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’ remix is just as good as the original version is designed for club and The Sounds ‘Tony the Beat’ is excellent. A huge stomper of a tune which keeps the best bits of the song (which is basically the chorus) and will soundtrack many a hedonistic night.

Think of ‘The Rex the Dog Show’ as a patchwork quilt, tons of pieces that form a formidable whole. Really just press play and let the vibes take you over.