iD.EOLOGY; 2004
Rating: 6.5

In this cut & paste, remix & revive musical culture, nothing is dead, not even disco. With Circle EP, Cuebism has sown the head of the Bee Gees onto the body of a minimalist Xiu Xiu and not bothered to hide the stitches. The album’s opening electronic noise asserts digital surgery like the opening of Radiohead’s ‘2 + 2 = 5′ bares the recording process with failing cord connections. Every song is built with thinly sliced synth phrases and conspicuously cut-off samples laid atop a groovy beat. With so many uncovered incisions, it’s a good thing Cuebism knows what he’s doing; despite lacking guitars, vocals, and shiny vests, Circle EP is one of the catchier disco albums I’ve heard. The man clearly has a knack for the perfect fishhook that reels you in every time until you surrender to its funky hip-hurling rapture.

As the ludicrous cover art suggests, the album isn’t about artistry or musical progress, even though both are present. It’s about sliding into the John Travolta finger point pose in nothing but wool socks on your linoleum floor. It’s about filtering the fun-loving from the freeloaders at your evening party; the hips don’t lie. It’s about replacing your dining room chandelier with a disco ball. Why not bounce-strut your way to work next time? It’ll help if you wake up to Cuebism.