Various Artists Poplife Presents Poplife Sucks

• Words: Tony Ware
• Label: 541
• XLR8R Rating: 7/10

With both the track records and actual records to be able to celebrate 10 years in style, Belgians Mo & Benoelie (a.k.a. DJs/producers The Glimmers) along with Stephen De Waele (half of 2ManyDJs) and Olivier Tjon have assembled a 19-track tribute to the decade-deep Gent monthly Poplife. Celebrating a tweaked-out spirit instead of caning more obvious mash-ups, the trio pulls from over 30 years of reverent Italo-disco, dubby New Wave, nubile electro boogie, resilient acid constricts, and proto-house constructs (Japan to Jacknife Lee, Brandon Cooke to Liquid Liquid, Erotic Dissidents to Aphex Twin). Overall, there’s a cheeky come-on undercurrent to the tag-team, as these tracks are sonically engaging without being self-absorbed, and instead of throwing out tangents for discussion they resolutely demand to hear your body talk.