Le Le are perhaps Holland’s best kept secret. Pulling together tight electro and disco beats with English and Dutch lyrics, delivered hip-hop style, and smothering everything with a sense of post-modern irony, the Dutch trio have been slavering away with moderate success since their first 12” three years ago. Now in one fell swoop comes a release collecting the best from their numerous EPs and debut album, resulting in what is essentially a ‘Greatest Hits’ or ‘A Beginner’s Guide’.
Le Le’s choice of themes to rap about are all fairly introspective and scene-related, topics range from fashion to 'douche bags' (i.e. scenester idiots), the media, sex, and disco. The tongue-in-check feel to both the delivery and lyrics keep the songs from feeling clumsy or too self-aware, and the upbeat nature of the tracks themselves ensure things don’t get too serious but instead remain fun - Le Le's objective is to entertain rather than inform.
However, it is the excellent tunes that seal the whole package. A strong selection of drum programming pins the album together, allowing the synths and keys to take centre stage. It's these sensibilities that, whilst never over-shadowing the vocals, create the party vibe that maintains from the first to the last track. It’s an incredibly well-balanced combination, somewhere between incredulous and über-cool, straying away from cheesiness but allowing a sense of unadulterated fun, almost silliness, to blossom. What results are dance floor destroyers like Breakfast, which explodes with straight forward 4/4 house beats, heavy riffs and a sinisterly filtered voice commanding “It’s eight in the morning, you’re looking tasty… Bitch you're breakfast!”
For anyone needing an introduction to this unique blend of hip-hop, house and electro sensibilities, this is an essential release. Others, already familiar with Le Le’s body of work, are going to be more frustrated that there is not a single new track on this album. However, with the trio seemingly now working with the German label Gomma, this simply feels like the beginning of the long-awaited second coming of Le Le.