Tralalay

They also fly us to 'Paris’ with a remix of the Friendly Fires track replacing Ed McFarlane with the obligatory female disco vocal. Tom Middleton presents a flawless disco instrumental, 'Remember the Love’ depicting an upbeat and energised version of this genre; whilst disco devotee, Fred Falke, messes with Mini Vival’s heart on his remix of 'Left my Heart in Tokyo’.NU DISCO is a seamless selection of ultra modern music, inspired by one of the most influential music movements of our time This is disco evolution at its very best.

The album isn’t only advanced and progressive in terms of its production values and musicality, however. It is also the most diverse work that The Optimen have released topically. While they still deliver their standard (though stepped up) form of 'battle’ inspired rhymes, replete with 'bragadociousness’ they have dug deeper this time around, mixing through a palette that begins with reminiscing on days past (80s Babies and time pre-money troubles in Pay Cheques) to the approaching of 30th birthdays (all this year) for emcees Sammsonite, DATS and Kristoff in 30 Rock.On The Rocks gives insight into the rocky relationship goings on the boys have with alcohol, which has been personified here, and Something in the Air featuring local hero Lazy Grey is a pseudo-socio-political address on how we could all be making greater efforts to connect with each other and put our differences aside in the name of getting high, really, really high Before the album is through, though, The Optimen have to pay hommage to the mostly African American musicians who paved the way for them as a sample-based act but also just for the incredible and inspirational music they have gifted the world with This track, Respecognise, features the newest Red Tape signess, The Archetypes, as well as the powerful and soulful singing voice of Kel, who takes the track out appropriately.

Leaving their home town for the first time to record, the sessions for 'Seven’ took place at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas with the exception of 'Grey Day’ and yet this is an album firmly rooted in London and the lives and experiences of the British in the early 80’s.Opening with the lyrically bleak but musically uplifting single, 'Cardiac Arrest’ and moving swiftly on to the genius of 'Shut Up’, a Madness single that remains a huge live favourite with all, including those not even born on its release, 'Seven’ also features a third single in the shape of 'Grey Day’, an eerie dub masterpiece that belies the caricature of the band as perpetually nutty dancing through the decade Of course, this being Madness, the video (also included) features nutty dancing As with previous album, 'Absolutely’ and those to come after 'Seven’, Madness had now developed a finely honed instinct for blending humour and bathos, seeing the good in the bad and vice versa whilst musically their palette could encompass the starting points of ska but also music hall, dub, rockabilly, latino and pretty much any other style that fitted.