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CD
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BPC 311CD
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Belgain duo Joy Adegoke and Wim Janssens aka Joy Wellboy have been inseparable for years as a couple in life and art. Their second album, Wedding, sounds as complete and varied as anyone could wish for a pop album to be in 2015. Songwriting meets crooning and electro beats snuggle up with chanson; there's a love song on the dancefloor, a heartbreaking duet and slow-dance ballad for eternity. In short: Joy Wellboy make Love On the Beat. Janssens assumes the role of a born-again Serge Gainsbourg and Adegoke plays a Jane Birkin, in scuffed black leather jacket with a Slits patch. One is reminded of new wave hits, the German new wave, the soundtracks of French new wave cinema, and Leonard Cohen in his "First We Take Manhattan" phase.
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LP+CD
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BPC 311LP
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LP version. Includes CD. Belgian duo Joy Adegoke and Wim Janssens aka Joy Wellboy have been inseparable for years as a couple in life and art. Their second album, Wedding, sounds as complete and varied as anyone could wish for a pop album to be in 2015. Songwriting meets crooning and electro beats snuggle up with chanson; there's a love song on the dancefloor, a heartbreaking duet and slow-dance ballad for eternity. In short: Joy Wellboy make Love On the Beat. Janssens assumes the role of a born-again Serge Gainsbourg and Adegoke plays a Jane Birkin, in scuffed black leather jacket with a Slits patch. One is reminded of new wave hits, the German new wave, the soundtracks of French new wave cinema, and Leonard Cohen in his "First We Take Manhattan" phase. LP includes bonus track "Stony Grey."
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12"
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BPC 286EP
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Joy Adegoke and Wim Janssens aka Joy Wellboy present remixes of their track "Before the Sunrise" for BPitch Control. The Tension Dub version of BPC veteran Kiki equips the original with its downtempo drive and poppy flair with a pumping attitude, while the spiral synths and a proper bass structure will pull you towards the dancefloor. Dixon emphasizes not only the dreamy side of the original, but lets his trademark sound unfold into a glorious melody, fed by pathos and romance. Matthew Patterson Curry aka Safety Scissors' remix features a sweeping climax.
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CD
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BPC 267CD
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In their home country of Belgium and neighboring France, Joy Wellboy have enjoyed cult status for some time -- although they have not released a great number of records up to now. However, there can be no doubt that their big break has arrived, as Joy Wellboy's debut album Yorokobi's Mantra is certainly one of the contenders for the highlight of 2013. What makes this amiable duo from Brussels so special? One factor is undoubtedly the fact that Joy Adegoke and Wim Janssens are romantically as well as musically attached. Completely different yet entirely compatible, the two characters and their individual musical expression combine in perfect symbiosis: Joy's boundless creativity and sure-fire sense of a catchy melody are channeled by Wim, who effortlessly forms them into flawless arrangements and memorable tracks with a unique sound. If, after the celebrated single "Flush Me," you're expecting the duo to focus exclusively on the realm of slick electro-pop, you'll be pleasantly surprised that Joy Wellboy's range extends considerably further. Yorokobi's Mantra is a grand pop spectacle in the most positive sense. In its thematic exploration of life's highs and lows, Joy Wellboy's debut album sounds both cool and emotional, powerful and energy-laden, extremely accessible but never pandering to expectations. Each of the 12 songs develops an atmosphere of disarming beauty in the space left between Joy's vocals and Wim's electronic textures. Happy-go-lucky pop songs like "I Can Handle" and "What Baby" are just as convincing as the haunting duet "Lay Down." The tracks range from the meticulously arranged, full-on electronica trip "On the Beach" to the wonderfully intimate vocal and piano ballad "Rain Drop Races." Beautiful, no-frills synth-pop songs like "Caress" already whet the appetite for single and remix releases. Yet Yorokobi's Mantra sounds entirely coherent as an album -- a bold and mature debut, and definitely the start of an exciting and successful future for Joy Wellboy.
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