I Know Electrikboy is a loose concept album from the mind of
Felix Da Housecat, a work that functions more as a love song to house music and to the dance scene in general. The concept presents a futuristic world in need of a musical savior due to an invasion of consumer-minded, imperialist Earthlings bent on taking over music as they know it. The hero, Electrikboy, uses his numerous aliases, connection to the underground, and, above all, the power of music to stifle any attempts at detection. Thematically,
I Know Electrikboy balances two kinds of songs: those dealing with the communal power of dance scenes ("My Life Muzik," "Zone 2 Nite," "My Fellow Boppers") and more than a few laments about the passing -- or worse, the gradual commercialization -- of those same scenes ("Where Is Your Past?," "Electrikboy," "Cosmic Pop"). The allegories to the increasingly mainstream dance industry and to Felix himself are obvious, so it's probably a good thing that he doesn't attempt to stretch the concept too far. The focus on
I Know Electrikboy is squarely on the music, and as such, there are a few of the best productions of his career here (granted, some were gathered from previous singles). As befits an album concerning the dance scene, most of these productions are aligned with several historical periods in electronic dance music -- midtempo disco-funk inspired by
Giorgio Moroder, raw early '80s R&B, Chicago house (obviously), and just a little bit of acid. Many of the tracks have vocals (either by Tyrone Palmer,
Harrison Crump, or
Felix himself) and
Felix perfectly balances a free-form style of soulful songwriting with a stricter production sense that still wouldn't suffer on the dancefloor. Throughout, he skates a very thin line separating the direct and the implied, vocal and instrumental. It's an intriguing statement about music for those looking to find it, but
I Know Electrikboy is above all an excellent musical statement in its own right. ~ John Bush