Review: Soulwax – All Systems Are Lying

Soulwax – All Systems Are Lying (Deewee)

★★★★½

From 2 Many DJs’ mash-ups to Despacio’s infamous DJ nights with James Murphy, via pioneering remixes, the Dewaele brothers have overhauled 21st century pop. Can they still be as inventive in their original band incarnation?

Although Soulwax released From Deewee in 2017, that was a one-take experiment. In reality, All Systems Are Lying is their first proper album since Any Minute Now back in 2004. The Dewaele brothers have stayed so busy since, continuing to push pop and dance forward via their productions and remixes, that it is bizarre to realise they haven’t made their own fully-fledged contribution in 21 years.

Its title a reference to the general paranoia surrounding all sides of the political divide, All Systems Are Lying also hints at the constant busyness David and Stephen undergo to keep the Deewee empire running, trying to loosen themselves up enough to get back to being Soulwax, as clarified in first single Run Free: “I want to run free when I choose it/ Play the wrong chord, say something stupid.”

It’s a mantra they achieve on their return: if the lyrics are occasionally stressed, the songs themselves are confident, supremely executed modern pop which frequently take unexpected emotional twists.

Supremely Executed Modern Pop

Gimme A Reason is the standout ballad, with the vocals sounding as fragile as Much Against Everyone’s Advice, pleading “Gimme a reason, a lie to believe in” over an echoey, dubby piano riff. Other elements slowly intrude – a sturdy bass, whirring electro motif, sinister warped siren – but the plaintive mood remains constant until the final minute, where that siren goes full blare and a giant drum assault suddenly materialises. It’s a sonic breakdown which should jar, yet only enhances the sadness of the preceding six minutes.

Anyone wanting Soulwax’s snark in the NY Excuse mould can head to the teasing bounce of The False Economy, with its “Your curated playlist? I always hated what you like” lyric voiced as the synth orchestra swells around. It’s a musical punchline so perfectly timed, the brothers presumably spent ages getting it just so, but it’s delivered with the ease and panache of their greatest remixes.

Polaris is the most complex moment, starting out like Dazzle Ships-era OMD, quickly building a contrastingly smooth bass around it and an insistent percussion riff. All that happens before comments about societal breakdown on TV announce “It’s happening all because of you”, after which the bass becomes disarmingly cavernous and the song’s second half thwacks you about the chops for your stupidity, ending in a minimal post-apocalyptic wasteland.

There are so many ideas here, even the 23-second interlude Dshungel manages to fit in both a funky, louchely strutting bassline and infectious drum riff before ushering in the dreamy Constant Happiness Machine.

As brilliant as 2 Many DJs, Despacio and all those remixes are, praise be that the Dewaele brothers are back at the day job, sounding as mighty as they’ve ever been.

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