Justice
A Cross the Universe
Earlier today, a : friend sent me a link to a video clip merely labeled Cornelius. The guy is a big fan of the Japanese performer and I expected this to be some cool artsy video clip. What I got was 120 seconds of electro hipster mayhem, with usual suspects The Bloody Beatroots, Steve Aoki, LA Riots and company in full don’t-give-a-fuck party mode, along with all the crowd surfing, girl-on-girl mashing and puking that has become the aesthetic cornerstone of the new electro scene.
 : :  :A Cross the Universe (the film) is the same sort of adventure in feature-length form. A sensory overload of hedonism that makes you jealous, disgusted and aroused all at once. In an interview with Justice immediately following the LA premier of the film, Xavier described it as a ":young French people indulging in the cliché:s of rock’n'roll.": A surprisingly self-aware answer from someone whom I had just watched drink, fight and carouse his way across America for 90 minutes. In other words, Justice might come off as jerks to those too old or trapped in self-denial (guilty) to appreciate the bacchanal that goes hand-in-hand with their community. But these guys are smart, and dangit, I still like them. And if you need a reminder of why Justice is a talent worthy of attention even with the cameras off, pop out the DVD and replace it with the live disc that comes with the package&mdash:because nothing would afford Justice the enviable ":lifestyle": they’ve come to represent were the music not so dead on.
 : :  :On record, Justice is a quality act to be held in high regard (and to be : remixed ceaselessly). But live, this animal bears really bears it’s fangs while at the same time increasing the thoughtful and clever sonics and compositional savvy that puts them in a class above most of their peers. Lots of producers have Nord Leads and Abelton plug-ins, but only Justice sampled those amazing strings on ":Stress.": Opener ":Genesis": pummels with an elephant’s cadence and unrestrained laser zaps. But ":D.A.N.C.E.": breaks itself down to the most basic catchiness of the vocals, accompanied by (I betcha) live piano notes before throttling back up to the blog hit. The ebb and flow abounds, keeping things tight even when the distorted onslaught threatens to overwhelm. And while they indulge the crowd in a ":We Are Your Friends": sing-along, the outro alone, complete with the Ministry ":Just One Fix": : guitar sample (spotter, whut!), is worth the cost of a ticket for this ride.
 : :  :I hope the kids who tattooed the Justice cross on his back (and those who slam a photo snapped when a piece of gear comes unplugged) appreciate these nuances as much as I do. Justice deserve all the respect&mdash:and none of the hateration.
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