Shakes

Sister Self-Doubt EP (IAMSOUND)

By Melody Caraballo
Published: July 20th, 2007 | 5:17pm

Until this release, generally only DJs like Erol Alkan and Ewan Pearson could get their hands on Shakes’ electro-rockin’ tracks. The two English brothers, Matt and Darren Farrow, who make up Shakes, bang out the kind of deep bass and distorted synth dance-floor killers that could give the Ed Banger crew a run for its money. (OK, so they’re a few colleagues short and not nearly as brightly clothed.)

They’ve already played seminal London club Fabric even though their first live performance — during which they featured live percussion — just occurred in summer ’06. But with the throbbing, hypnotic Rapture-ousness (in vocal delivery and name: “Sister Savior” anyone?) of the EP’s titular “Sister Self-Doubt,” they weren’t a U.K. secret for long. They’ve released on Norway’s Hot! Hot! Hot! imprint and have remixed numerous artists, including Kasabian, Datarock, and GoodBooks. In fact, the brothers can’t seem to help but twiddle knobs, providing two versions of “Sister Self-Doubt” and a two-part bulldozer that goes by the innocuous name “Disneyland.”

These guys aren’t pretending they are onto something totally new (or new rave), recognizing that they have an admiration of the ‘80s Danceteria days when punk and dance began to mingle, as evidenced on the laser-shooting, spiked-guitar of “Disneyland Part 1” and in “Disneyland Part 2,” where they bust out the cowbell, handclaps, and stomping big beats. But it’s “Air (Instrumental)” — which does, in fact, feature some vocals — that seats the pair comfortably alongside the likes of LCD Soundsystem and MSTRKRFT, and all prove that dance-rock can be more than a synth-and-guitar combo.