Background
Madeon, the French protégé of tasty house music at only 21, actually got his start producing hands-up under the name "Daemon," which is an anagram of his current name. He became slightly popular through various remixes, and he even won a remix competition for "The Island" by Pendulum. However, his big break came when he uploaded a video to YouTube of him mashing up 39 pop songs live, called "Pop Culture." Since then, he's released a handful of singles, an EP, and most recently, his debut album, "Adventure."
Review
Listen to "Adventure"
It's safe to say it'd be a challenge to find another record that brings such a genuinely head-bobbing, toe-tapping, pop-esque experience as "Adventure." With his debut album, Madeon twists synthpop, french house, electro, and more into his own unique style that he's stuck with and refined since he moved away from hands up and dove head-first into the world of house music. "Isometric" starts off the album as an intro track. It begins with a plucky arp that's joined by floaty chords, which both make way for the signature big, tight, dissonant chord stabs that define Madeon's sound. "Isometric" transitions perfectly into "You're On (feat. Kyan)," the record's first full-length song. Later, "Beings" also transitions perfectly into "Imperium," and so does "Innocence (feat. Aquilo)" into "Pixel Empire." It's little details like these that make "Adventure" feel that much more like a single idea and a coherent album than just an average, run-of-the-mill release. With the intro out of the way, Madeon chose to fill his record with two very distinct styles: first; bright, fluffy synthpop reminiscent of 2012 Passion Pit, who, coincidentally, is one of many vocal features studding these poppy tracks, and second; the harder, the awed, powerful french electro tracks in the same vein as his earlier releases. In the first category, tracks like "Pay No Mind (feat. Passion Pit)," "You're On (feat. Kyan)," and "Nonsense (feat. Mark Foster)" create a carefree, innocent soundscape using tight drums, glistening arps and crisp chords. On the slower side of pop are "La Lune (feat. Dan Smith)" and "Innocence (feat. Aquilo)," which are a little more chilled but still come with those awe-inspiring chords that are expected of Madeon. Additionally, Madeon makes his vocal debut on the tracks "Beings," "Zephyr," and "Home," the last of which closes off the regular album. For his first vocal work, it's clean and professional, and I hope to hear more of his voice in his future songs. Second, and complimenting the rest of the album are the harder, instrumental tracks that feel similar to his previous work. "Imperium" right from the start has some heavy grit to its groove, and while it still has flowing arpeggios and spaced out chords, there's no question it belongs on a dancefloor. "Pixel Empire" demands the same attention with its overdriven beat and heavy sidechaining, but brief moments of that signature, fluttering arpeggio can be heard at times.
Adventure (Deluxe)
Released alongside "Adventure" was a deluxe version of the album, featuring new artwork and some of Madeon's original tracks from years past. Included is "Icarus," "Finale (feat. Nicholas Petriccia)," "The City," "Cut the Kid," "Technicolor," and "Only Way Out (feat. Vancouver Sleep Clinic)," the last of which is an original song just for the deluxe edition of the record. Each of these songs, while most of them are older, definitely have a home on the album, as they fit very well into the style of the record as a whole. In a Madeon fashion, they all feature big, powerful chords, arpeggios that almost fly away, punchy drums, and the funky, glitchy grooves that define french house. Ending the deluxe edition of "Adventure" is "Only Way Out (feat. Vancouver Sleep Clinic)." It's a chill, reflective piece that nicely finishes a fantastic album.
Madeon knows what he's doing, and there's no one to do it better than him. "Adventure" is a collection of songs that are meaningful to him, and his work definitely payed off. "Adventure" is a vast soundscape of vibrant pop spanning many genres and pulling sounds from every end of the electronic spectrum. If Madeon continues on like this, I can't complain. 9.5/10
Notable Remixes
You're On (feat. Kyan) Remixes
There's not one, not two, but three official remixes on the "You're On (feat. Kyan) Remixes" remix EP. Gramatik brings a similar, funky house feel to the track, while Alex Metric brings his signature deep/tech house style. Oliver's remix is the most distant from the original, with a disco vibe straight out of the 80's. While they're not wildly different from the original, they're still pretty great.
Innocence (feat. Aquilo) (Daydreamer Remix)
Using Madeon's signature chord style to his advantage, Daydreamer turns the jazzy, tight chords that define Madeon's production to produce a fantastic future bass remix of "Innocence (feat. Aquilo)." The intros and verses are ethereal and chilled, but the chorus never fails to inspire awe. For anyone who enjoys the recent trend in music towards nostalgia and away from club bangers, this is a track for you.
Sources
Wikipedia | Madeon
Wikipedia | Adventure (Madeon Album)
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