Isolée We Are Monster

• Words: Peter Nicholson
• Label: Playhouse
• XLR8R Rating: /10

From the menacing, minor-key mutations of the first track, "Pictureloved," to the sprawling, sexy 10-minute chug of "Pillowtalk," the second artist album from Isolée (a.k.a. Rajko Müller) is a masterpiece. While "Pillowtalk"-with its swelling and shifting plucked melodies-probably comes closest to evoking the sublime tech house groove of Isolée‘s reputation-making single, "Beau Mot Plage," We Are Monster further explores Müller‘s affection for rock, with "Schrapnell" driven by an echoing lick and a salty pair of slide guitars and strings and more fretwork pushing the grind of "Today." The album is not entirely flawless-the plodding lurch of "Jelly Baby/Fish" grows a tad annoying with repeated listens-but with the slurping electro and absolutely massive breakdown of "My Hi-Matic" and the way songs like "Face B" evolve with a complexity matched by their delicious visceral details, Isolée has made a wondrous beast with a life all its own.