Single Review: Ichinchilla – “Record Player”

With an infectious beat and a sound that immediately reminded me of Devo, I had held out high hopes for the song, “Record Player” by the London native, Ichinchilla. As the song progressed, I found it to be typical of the genre; solid, but not the stand-out piece I had hoped it would be.

The cover consists of colorful blocks, each sporting a single letter to the title. It looks like a throwback to the all-colorful and bright ’80s, and with the title of the song being an ode to the only way to listen to music way back then, I was expecting a reflective and retro number. To an extent it is — retro punk and retro disco, dressed up just enough to be modern.

The repetitive lyric “Does it play 78” is rather annoying. Most of the lyrics are a series of phrases, repeated to the point of nausea, but to be fair, it wasn’t ever meant to be known for its poetic or profound lyrics. The song is what it is — an English-influenced electronica dance number. I’m sure it will be played over and over at all the dance clubs, as it is a classic illustration of the formula. I even predict I will hear it at the corner bar my husband and I like to play pool at on Saturday night, because the young hip DJ is into this genre and plays numerous tracks that all follow this same basic blueprint (even though the clientele is more retro then young and hip).

The B tracks on the CD single, “Def Disco Player” and “Les Voleurs – Player” are similar fare — dance/electronica with a slight infusion of classic punk. The Devo influences, as I mentioned, are more then apparent. I also hear a bit of the Ramones, if you can imagine them synthesized. The video to “Record Player” is also included on the CD single, making it a nice complete package.

I suppose I make no secret of the fact that this is not my genre of choice. If I’m out in the clubs, then the music is enjoyable, but it’s not something I would listen to for hours at any other time. That being said, “Record Player” is a very solid track that holds true to the genre while infusing some of Ichinchilla’s influences to give the piece a classic feel.

Ichinchilla’s website is quite the interactive experience. One hundred percent flash, it contains MP3s and videos of upcoming releases as well as tour dates and news. The single is available for download from iTunes.