Cross - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Justice is the moniker of the Paris-based production duo Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay. Their approach to crazy-quilt dance-pop hybridism is infectious, if a tad off-putting here and there. The duo rose to fame due to an MP3 single and super smart video for the excellent, kiddy-chorused house-pop number "D.A.N.C.E." in 2007, and they soon thereafter signed to the suitably named label Banger. They manage to make really silly and fun music in a way that frequently comes off in a pretentious manner. It's ridiculous to name your album after a symbol, especially if it's †. This is not meant derogatorily. Really. Justice does appear to be that rare breed of dance artist equally capable of stimulating the body and the mind, though neither Richard James nor the Basement Jaxx need fear this act. After just one listen to "Waters of Nazareth," it's very difficult to avoid wondering "how the hell did they mix and match noise and pop so beautifully" while also dancing furiously. --Mike McGonigal

Amazon.com
Rarely does a European DJ/dance album hit the U.S. with as full a head of steam as this one, but after the twin jabs of the singles "Never Be Alone" and "Waters of Nazareth," French duo Justice was poised and ready to follow with Cross. As a strong contender for the dance album of 2007, this 12-track debut shows Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Auge flexing more musical elasticity than the "dance" or "house" tags can possibly convey on their own, never mind the "French Touch" movement with which the pair is loosely and rather reductively associated. Having remixed tracks from artists as dissimilar as Britney Spears and Franz Ferdinand, the pair seems to have been building its chops for exactly this kind of resolutely defiant masterwork. From the relentless, gritty electro-bounce of opener "Genesis" and the stuttering, four-on-the-floor propulsion of "Let There Be Light," to the children's chorus of "D.A.N.C.E." and the rock-indebted "DVNO," Cross starts with a palette of house and disco beats and then throws the kitchen sink at it. The resulting amalgam boasts a tectonic range of reference without ever sacrificing de Rosnay and Auge's slavish devotion to the fine art of the party album. --Jason Kirk

Album Description
Justice's monster beats, massive hooks, thunderous drums, and near-religious determination to demolish dance floors cast them in a light no contemporary can catch. The group's US debut single, "Waters Of Nazareth" arrived in 2006 and solidified their sound: huge slabs of beats, brutal strings, and cathartic release. That record sets the stage for this, their debut full-length, boasting the already ubiquitous disco pop anthem "D.A.N.C.E.", which features the best English children's choir since "Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2".

Album Description
Justice's monster beats, massive hooks, thunderous drums, and near-religious determination to demolish dance floors cast them in a light no contemporary can catch. The group's US debut single, "Waters Of Nazareth" arrived in 2006 and solidified their sound: huge slabs of beats, brutal strings, and cathartic release. That record sets the stage for this, their debut full-length, boasting the already ubiquitous disco pop anthem "D.A.N.C.E.", which features the best English children's choir since "Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2".

Album Details
You Know Justice, AKA Xavier De Rosnay and Gaspard Auge. French Duo, Remixed Simian to Create the Titanic 'we Are Your Friends', the Anthem-that-will-not-die, That's Wrecked Dancefloors from Backstage Glasto to Trash to Euro-resorts Groovy Parisians who have the Balls to Name their Single, Or Dare We Say, their Hit "d.a.n.c.e." And in Caps Would You Believe. But You Can When You're Called Justice and in all but Three Years have Revolutionized Dancefloors all Over the World

Customer Reviews: Read 31 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Let There Be Justice! July 10, 2007
11 out of 15 found this review helpful

If the opening seconds of Justice's debut album, " ," don't tell you a thing about what you're in store for, you aren't listening. The mudded brass come marching in like they are coming to destroy, and in a way they are. Justice is a dance/electronica group, to be sure, but to label them as such is travesty in and of itself. Like that imperial death march, Justice is here to destroy. In this case, they have come to demolish your preconceived notions about what dance music is and what it can be. Now, until recently I have avidly campaigned against the genre which I feel is cluttered with mundane "artists" who rely on bad samples and horrendous loops to captivate a somewhat dimwitted audience. My opinion is slowly starting to change as I am introduced to artists who are challenging this perception. Justice is one of them.

From the opening track to the very last second of "," I found myself, not only captivated, but amazed, entertained, and energized. Justice comes off as a bull charging towards its victim, with so much momentum and energy that attempting to slow it down would be a fruitless endeavor. Their songs are constantly changing, never relying on a single loop or phrase for too long. And these songs are not lite, easy-listening electronica songs either. They're harsh and brash, with the mids turned up too high for comfort. It's not your average dance album, it is a revelation!

"Let There Be Light" begins with a near-unlistenable melody, but adds in drums, a thumping bassline, and so many cuts and glitches that you'll be in love with it before you know it. It concludes with an absolutely awesome composition that harmonizes synths with synths in a way that sounds like it'd be better suited for the closing credits of a Super Mario Bros. game than a dance record. "D.A.N.C.E." is one of the few songs on " " with actual vocals, and while I found them a bit childish and annoying at first, I was shocked to find the song stuck in my head hours after I first encountered. The song sounds like the Jackson 5 on methamphetamines, if only for the lyrics, "Do the D.A.N.C.E., stick to the B.E.A.T." The disco-esque strings and sing-along quality of the song make the song a sure-fire hit, which is probably why it is the album's first single.

Elsewhere on the album, there's the cut-filled "New Jack," the completely overpowering, yet satisfying "Phantom Pt. I" (and it's more audience friendly second part), and the 100% guilty pleasure "The Party." The latter features such terrible rap-lines as "Let's get drunk and freaky-fied," and if you actually find yourself liking it, then you may want to see if pigs grew wings. It's the one low point on an otherwise flawless album.

The best part about "" is the fact that it never gets boring, an attribute clearly made possible by the group's insistence on keeping the songs fresh around every corner and their refusal to use one loop or riff for any extended period of time. The quality of the songs is through the roof, and the genres touched upon in each song are too numerous to mention. While "D.A.N.C.E." is clearly your crowd-pleaser, songs like "Stress" (which envokes serious Requiem for a Dream soundtrack memories) and "Waters of Nazareth" are designed for the sole purpose of making you nod your head in approval while simultaneously scratching it, thinking "What the heck am I listening to?" " " is an achievement in electronic music that should be listened to by fans and naysayers of the genre alike. Finding a true definition for the music contained on this album is impossible, so I'll just call it this: amazing!

Recommended for fans of electronic music and anyone who wants to experience shock and awe firsthand.

Key Tracks:
1. "Let There Be Light"
2. "D.A.N.C.E."
3. "Phantom Pt. I"
4. "DVNO"
5. "Stress"

7 out of 10 Stars

4 out of 5 stars

It's all about fun April 3, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Every now and then somebody releases an album that isn't incredibly serious or groundbreaking, but is, above all, just plain fun. "Cross" definitely falls into that category. It's basically a party on a disc.

It's refreshingly light in approach. Justice obviously doesn't take themselves too seriously as one can tell by tracks like "D.A.N.C.E." - but that doesn't mean they lack substance. Although one can never be sure, it doesn't seem like the work of a one-hit wonder. For one thing, there are a number of strong tracks on the album and, most importantly, they have an original take on the electro-glam sound that is so popular these days.

A lot of reviews compare this to Daft Punk, but I think those comparisons have more to do with the fact that these groups are both French duos working in the same general BPM area. Maybe there are more similarities than that, but Justice isn't not nearly as repetitive as Daft Punk tends to be and their songs are more gritty and dirty. Above all, I have to resist this temptation to pre-judge them based on my feelings about Daft Punk. I hope listeners will hear them as their own group - not mere copycats. Actually, I think they're more like Basement Jaxx than anything else - but that's beside the point.

I've particularly enjoyed the way they can blend harsh noise and dissonance with such catchy melodies and pop hooks. "Let There Be Light" is brutal, but compelling. By all calculation, it should be grating on your ears, but instead you just want to dance. While the rhythm is tight, there's this wonderful feeling of looseness as if the instrumental parts weren't entirely quantized on a grid. The lack of rigidity seems to be one of the key factors in the very danceable nature of this disc.

As a side note, I couldn't finish this review without a nod to my favorite Italian prog rock band, Goblin whose soundtrack to Dario Argento's "Tenebre" makes an appearance on "Phantom." Well, more than an appearance - it's basically the whole song. I realize that Goblin isn't as popular as they once were, but I hope some Justice fans will check out their music because they were using synthesizers waaay back in the days of Kraftwerk.

Overall, this is an inspired debut from a promising new band. Although it may not entirely live up to some of the raves here, it's strong and good for repeat listenings. If you're a fan of electro or anything like Basement Jaxx, I would highly recommend this CD. It's fun and easily accessible right from the start, but it has enough depth to make you keep listening again and again.

5 out of 5 stars

AMAZING DEBUT! (4.6 stars) July 10, 2007
7 out of 12 found this review helpful

I'll say it. The electronic/dance record of 2007 has arrived. The long-awaited, super amazing full length from French duo, Justice, breathes life once again into your neighborhood dance floor and come June 11, 2007, also in your favorite record shop. Justice is made up of Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Auge, two men that have become famous for mixing a bit of religion with their incredible and righteous beats. It seems wherever they turn up, they make any club/festival into their own private house of worship, and the faithful have been eating it up. Barely visible during their live sets, the two stand behind their giant glowing cross that adorns the decks. Its an ironic twist on the idea of a religious experience. After hearing this album in full, you might be a follower of what they've laid down as well.

Mixing some Daft Punk with early Chemical Brothers gets you about halfway there. Cross's strength is a flawless mix of dance and electronic styles, delivered with amazing production and energy to spare. It follows on the heels of a few well received singles, like 2006's Waters of Nazareth (which is smartly included here). Also catching buzz has been their fun graphically inspired video for the lead single, D.A.N.C.E. The song is great, with or without said video, it's a weird hybrid of Daft and Michael Jackson, with some children's vocals thrown in. It will be one of your favorites this summer, if isn't already.

The really amazing thing about this record is that it holds up through the entire tracklisting. I might have to go back to Underworld's Beaucoup Fish for the last time that happened (ok, maybe Milo's Destroy Rock n Roll, or MSTRKRFT's The Looks). It opens super strong with (appropriately titled) Genesis. As the perfect opener, it's a pulsing surge of fuzzy beats mixed with some over the top drama and a setup found usually in hollywood blockbuster movies, not dance records. never loses steam after Genesis fades into Let There Be Light, in fact it might even get stronger as the record chugs along. I found stuff like Phantom, The Party and New Jack, being as enjoyable as the singles. Stress, a song which backs the final third of the record, is unbelievably grand and just as in-your-face awesome. Vocals and vocal samples on Cross are kept to a minimum, appearing on just a few tracks, The Party (featuring foul-mouthed bass gal, Uffie), D.A.N.C.E., and DNVO. Its a perfect amount of vocals, in fact, everything on this record is pretty much spot on, even the T-Rex-esque album art is terrific.

If you like house/electro/club/Miami bass/trance/breakbeat/dance...whatever, it really doesn't matter. Justice aims to please, and happens to do much more than that. A must have.

2 out of 5 stars

Noise July 17, 2007
6 out of 32 found this review helpful

I can't even begin to see how they equate Justice with Daft Punk!! This isn't techno and it's certainly not rock or punk. It's noise, alright? It's Chemical Brothers if the Chemical Brothers had no rhythm... or an insanely short attention span. When I listen to Techno or Dance music, I need some kind of element to tie it all together... to facilitate the musical journey, if you will... a beat. Justice keeps throwing in different shrill sounds and... Hell, they make Ministry and the whole Industrial movement sound almost classical. Sorry guys, but I don't get it. Justice sounds to me like bad noise. The only decent track there contains a sample from an Italian dance song.

J'suis desole les mecs, but when you compare Justice to others often lumped into contemporary "French sound": Air, Daft Punk, Kid Loco, and many others... these guys leave lots to be desired.

4 out of 5 stars

A solid and enjoyable electronic album August 13, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I heard this CD while browsing through an indie CD store. The distinctive distortion had me asking the clerk if it was the new Daft Punk CD. In response he handed me "Cross" by Justice. Seeing the giant cross on front of the CD, and track titles like "Genesis" and "Waters of Nazareth" made me think it was some sort of Christian Rock, so I put it back on the rack (nothing against Christians, it's just that Christian Rock isn't my thing). Over the next 20 minutes while hunting through the bins, I was able to give Justice a good listen. It sounded so good that ended up grabbing the CD on the way to the counter.

This is one of the best electro-dance CD's that I've heard in a long time. Some other reviews written here disagree, but this does remind me of some of my favorite mid-to-late 90's albums like "Exit Planet Dust", "Dead Cities", and "Homework". Justice's "Cross" album is not on the same level as those masterpieces; but in the current desert of good electronic music in the late 00's, it is certainly is a breath of fresh air.

The music flows from track to track in a very smooth manner. There are great beats and they use noise and distortion in a blissful way. Some of the songs slow down a little too much for a good dance flow, but those songs make it a great CD to have on while relaxing at home or for listening to in the car.

There is one drawback. I hate the track "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy". It is the latest rip-off of "Supersonic" by J. J. Fad ("Fergalicious", "Wind It Up", etc.). Whether or not his track is tongue-in-cheek, I can't tell. Still, that's what my FF button is for.

That aside, this is a great album with some clever samples. I think my favorite is their sample off the odd Booji Boy intro "We're All Devo" by DEVO on the track "Stress". It's a very strange (and obscure) sample to use, but they really make it work. It was a nice moment that added a cherry to the top of this very enjoyable album - especially as a DEVO fan. Pick this up if you want to hear one of the best and most listenable dance albums to come out in a long time.

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