The 2 Bears / Be Strong

DFA

A London record through and through, Be Strong ducks and weaves to the myriad sounds of the city as The 2 Bears pursue the perfect party record. Raf Daddy and Joe Goddard explore previously unheard genres like dancehall country on the bouncing prison yard lament “Time in Mind” and garage reggae on “Heart of the Congos,” a track that simultaneously channels both Wookie and early ’80s Madness before placing them each at a system in the heart of Notting Hill Carnival at dusk. Other highlights include “Be Strong,” “Church” and the mighty “Bear Hug”—a pummeling treatise on the benefits of the peak-time dancefloor cuddle.

Raf (a.k.a. Raphael Rundell) met Goddard (one fifth of Hot Chip) when the two shared deck duties at a series of legendary Greco-Roman parties. Upon venturing into the studio in an attempt to replicate some of the records that they’d lost themselves in the night before, Raf laid down vocals over Goddard’s skipping, bass-o-matic backing tracks with the assumption that they’d eventually be replaced by someone with sweeter, more melodious tones. In the end, it was Raf’s voice that characterized and personalized The 2 Bears.

Over its twelve tracks, Be Strong conjures up that elusive spirit of the dancefloor without pretension, and with ultimate precision. It’s a soul record in that it’s from the soul, wearing its imperfections with pride. It’s a dance record in that it’ll get you off your seat. It’s a London record in that it couldn’t have come from any other city in 2012, echoing the gloriously schizophrenic sound of a late-night cab ride listening to a radio with a mind of its own.

With minimal effort and maximum respect from their peers, tracks are beginning to be hammered in clubs and on radio by the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Erol Alkan, Pete Tong and Annie Mac. Last summer’s Bear Hug EP cranked things up yet another notch with Chris Moyles giving the track some early morning airings and Elton John and Paul McCartney declaring themselves fans.

• SHARE

  •  Twitter
  •  Stumbleupon
  •  Digg
  •  del.icio.us
  •  Facebook
  •  Mixx