Abandoning the name El Guapo and boarding the boat for Touch and Go Records was just about the best thing the boys of Supersystem could have ever done. Don’t get me wrong, El Guapo was a solid post-rock outfit, complete with nostalgic memories of 1980s avant-garde hardcore jazz and an impalpable ability to make you groove.
But since rechristening themselves as Supersystem in 2005 (a name which was taken from Fake French, their 2002 Dischord Record release under El Guapo), the band has amalgamated into a formation of experimental art-rock. With a solid electronic backdrop and potent socio-political lyrics, Supersystem gives everything from Q and Not U, The Rapture, and even The Faint a run for their money.
In the realm of electronic pop (one that often finds itself suffering in terms of legitimacy as “serious art” and replay value), Supersystem are a success of depth, vigor, potency, and fun. From “Not the Concept” to “Revolution Summer,” you will find nary a stinker in the bunch. Each track balances perfectly the various instrumentation with acute precision, accruing a truly holistic record (so don’t dare skip a track).
– Bill Wallace
Supersystem (Touch and Go Records)