Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down - Risque Album Review

An eleven-track kinky electro perv-fest appropriately on the Some Bizarre label, this heavy-breathing, corrective slaps abounding, squelchorama owes much to Alison Goldfrapp's S & M adventures, echoing Soft Cell, Grace Jones and Donna Summer. Recorded in London's Soho and in très chic shadowy corners of Barcelona and the South of France, Risqué (French Natalie and Welsh Huw) spend their days away from light behind drawn blinds and their nights in places too scary to imagine.

The Velvet Underground's steely fetishista punitive Venus in Furs is given a funky make-over and the automated, robotic Push the Button echoes Annie's Lennox's best, disengaged chilly (á la Sweet Dreams) vocal, a turn-on in its frosty, do as you are told, whip-crack-away. 'Tie Me Up Tie Me Down' is reminiscent of Dave Ball's early (best) low-rent synth keyboards work, and Talking Heads' Psycho Killer thrusts itself into your face, astride a solid slab of perfect motorvating dance that rocks to Huelva and back. If the Flying Lizards coupled with Giorgio Moroder down a dark back alley, Do You Believe in Heaven would be the erogenous outcum. On Superstitious, the sang-froid promiscuous pants and groans heritage of Birkin, Faithfull, Nico and Gainsbourg slither amidst sap-raising LXTRNX FX, processed rock guitars and Chicory Tip scuzz. Tracks (check the titles!) such as Hot Line, Plastic Lover, Can't Stop, Dèshabille-toi...confirm this album as essential for subterranean clubs. Risqué are Kraftwerk on Viagra, powered by Duracell - the best fun you can have with your PVC clothes on.