Five years after the release of their groundbreaking, moody, genre-bending “After Dark” compilation, Italians Do It Better have finally released the proper follow-up.
In some respects 5 years seems like a mere blink, however if we take an inventory of all that’s happened since, it’s rather stunning.
IDIB co-founder Johnny Jewel has released several full lengths and EPs under the Desire, Chromatics, Glass Candy and Symmetry monikers and inspired and helped craft the sound and tone of cinematic cult phenomenon Drive. Glass Candy is performing at this years Primavera Sound and Pitchfork Music Festivals. Chromatics released one of last year’s finest albums “Kill For Love” and were invited by Karl Lagerfeld to perform at Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2013 runway show and will be opening for The xx at The Hollywood Bowl at the end of the season. Essentially, IDIB is on a runaway train level tear, and it’s all good.
Quietly released without much fanfare or promotion, “After Dark 2″ was as hotly anticipated as it was totally unexpected.
Featuring all new material from Glass Candy, Chromatics, Farah, Appaloosa and Mike Simonetti and more, it’s rich with all the moods and textures that made “After Dark“ a hit, while taking the level of songwriting to new unexpected places.
Album closer, “The Possessed” is a particularly heavy and gloriously emotive track that may very well be the Rosemary’s Baby of dance music. I can’t think of anyone else currently creating as deliriously desolate a musical landscape as Johnny Jewel and Ida No. I don’t know if either of them are actually ACTUALLY Italian, but fact, FACT: nobody does it better.