Deadbots - Love Unlimited

****1/2

90's Electronica relives on 'Love Unlimited'!!!

Deadbots are a Irish / Canadian duo featuring Paul Kelly and Nina Knezevic, a couple that reside in Dublin and been making waves on the DJ circuit. 'Love Unlimited' is a collection of songs that verge from Pop to Disco to House and even Jazz, with a strong 90's Electronic feel to them. I really found myself getting into this album, and the musicianship is great. You wouldn't believe that this is the debut album by Deadbots, this is the standard of most artists third or fourth album. The album starts off with a haunting instrumental track called 'Other', which in a way that is a mix between a more Electro / Electronic Leftfield / Massive Attack or Portishead.

The album continues with 'Check your Lens' the first track on the album to contain Nina's vocals, it sounds a little bit like the work of Klayton (Celldweller / Scandroid), mixed with a band I saw supporting Kajagoogoo quite a while ago called Northern Kind. This track has a really nice 90's Sci-Fi soundtrack feel to it, topped of with simplistic lyrics that really go with the music. I really like the bridge to this song, it has a nice build up... I really can imagine it being in one of my favourite films. The album is lifted up with the more Disco / Dance chart vibe of title track 'Love Unlimited', which has really nice singled out key sequences to it.

The vocals on this track are more flowing, and the beat has a more commercial vibe to it. Maybe like something Opus III did back in the 90's, the thing is it does sound like a 90's track and is nothing new. But sometimes like in the case, that is not a bad thing because I love 90's Dance / Electronic music. By the time I have got to track four 'Time', I am really getting into the album... I always loved The Shamen back in the 90's and the motion picture 'Hackers'. And in places the Deadbots have delivered a slice of Electronic perfection, and the tracks really grow on you. 'Time' which is an instrumental track is one of my favourites on the record, it's great to listen to late at night or maybe on a long journey on the bus or in a car.

They get a little darker on the next track 'Romance', which has a steady flow to it and lots of different levels. The vocals are a mix of the styles of the other tracks heard before all blended together, and the layers are really well mixed together. 'Everlasting' is quite different to the other tracks, it's a lot slower for a start with a monotonous underlining chilled vibe to it. It can be a little annoying at moments, but for some reason this is why I like the track and can't understand the reasons for this. I does feel like I know the song, but I hadn't heard it before. The bass on 'Fever' is really good and feels like it has been lifted off a Prince track. an artist I really love. The whole song has a massive Prince vibe to it, so I think the Deadbots must be a fan of his work.

I really like the track, but in a way a little out of place on the album and too similar to a few songs I have from the Prince before. Continuing on with the steady beats for 'Window Boxing', you feel you have been dragged back in to the right vibe of the album. This track a steady builder, with heavy keys... is another highlight of the album. I don't know why, but I personally like the instrumental tracks on this record. Even though the vocals are really strong, on the songs they are on. I think this is a personal preference, because I have always loved the music from computer games and old Sci-Fi films. And when the Deadbots get instrumental, this is the music they produce... and it's great. Maybe this is why they have called the last track on the album 'Computer Controlled'.

I do think maybe in a few years the computers will be taken over, hopefully not my old ZX Spectrum... because we would not get anything done. It took hours to load anything, and when you had it loaded you had to play that game or use that programme for a week. So as the album fades out on the robotic sound of this track, I think Deadbots have really got the vibe. And they have hinged on the new Electronic music craze that is going round, and if they market themselves right... I think you will be hearing a lot more from them. But in a World with so much new Electronic music, they need to make sure they do the right music videos and get them exposed to Social Media all over the place. I think 'Love Unlimited' is a late night album, that you just have to put on and chill to late at night. So the Deadbots will need to find a way of getting listeners to do this, and I can see them doing this and growing as an act.