MANCHILD Nothing Without Me (One Little Indian)

Manchild are a Cardiff duo, and on this single they present the kind of dance music that already seems wearily familiar from recent releases by Daft Punk, Mirwais and Madonna, all treated vocals and flailing filters. "Nothing Without Me" piles on just about every kitchen sink clich imaginable in an attempt to cover as many bases as possible, from the disco guitar loop to the soaring, 70s string sample and the female vocal line (no lyrics worth repeating, of course, just a voice as another instrument). And it's as boring in its button-pushing fashion as any Chemical Brothers rip-off artist who thinks that signalling the return of the big riff with one of their patented "ting ting ting-ting-ting-ting" percussion lines is the path to dancefloor enlightenment. As long as Richard D James lives and breathes and records this kind of music will be exposed as the worthless floor-fodder that it is.

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