Zombielicious

Disliked by Westlife (whose unbroken run of number ones fell foul of it), adored by the Boston Bruins’s home crowd (who use it for goal celebrations), Zombie Nation’s Kernkraft 400 reaches its tenth birthday this year. Yet new album Zombilicious suggests that its mastermind, the Munich-based DJ and producer Florian Senfter, would prefer that we all moved on and forgot all about that landmark slab of hooligan rave. And to be honest, it’s a bit of a shame.

Where Senfter’s Gigolo breakthrough was a purposeful club destroyer, there’s nothing on this fourth album that’s even remotely as direct. There’s no shortage of great ideas, but they battle against each other within each track. Discordant electro-disco goes a bit noodly with a flute here; wonky breakbeat evolves into a bass-heavy techno throbber there. Some elements hint at the output of Boys Noize, Ed Banger and Relish, but frustratingly head off in yet another direction. In short, it lacks focus. Westlife needn’t be too worried this time around. (5)