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With DEVIN
DAZZLE AND THE NEON FEVER (2004, Emperor Norton), Felix once
again has sewn together an album a la hip-hop's Dan The
Automator and Prince
Paul which taps the talents of varied producers and vocalists
and creates a
thoroughly enjoyable ride. Boasting guest vocals from James
Murphy of
DFA/LCD Soundsystem ("What She Wants") - "He's a cool white boy
with lots of
funk,' states Felix, Tyrone "Visionary" Palmer ("Ready to Wear,"
"Neon
Human"), Kate Wax, and an all-girl group known as The Neon Fever
("Rocket
Ride," "Short Skirts," "Everyone is Someone in LA," "Hunting
Season") Devin
Dazzle and the Neon Fever transcends simple dance, rock or pop
music.
Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever is an album built upon punk/post
new-wave
culture and is deliberately more song oriented. To accomplish
this Felix
took a new approach. "I decided I wanted to use live musicians
for this
album," Felix explains. "I got so tired of the arpeggiated bass
lines
everyone's using, so I went out an got proper live musicians. I
play
keyboards because I really wanted to get a live feel for this
record."
Talking about some of the cast of characters he enlisted for the
album,
Felix relates how each had an effect on the superego of the
album. The
tracks on Devin Dazzle fluctuate between an upbeat spiritual
side versus the
temptations of the excess of nightlife under neon lights -
partying and sex.
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