Title: Retrofuturo (2012)

Artist: Isis Signum

Review: "Who ever thought electroclash would see a revival in 2012? Acts like Fischerspooner and Peaches might be amusing but faint memories from years gone by - yet the aesthetic and approach of the genre makes a comeback in evolved form with the latest Isis Signum release, 'Retrofuturo'.

What we have here is a collection of classy fashionista, minimalistic crunchy electro with a slight melancholy tinge and varied spoken vocals from a range of sultry, sassy seductresses. The production is smooth and the aesthetic very "supermodel chic", true to the artist's electroclash roots. There are rare flashes of trance-smart arpeggios, but mostly here are futuristic synths mixed with minimalist guitar and often funky electro basslines are to be found throughout as well.

The style intelligently references everything from Fischerspooner to Daft Punk, blending a queer New York club vibe with an undercurrent of 80's redux. The industrial flavour is only very lightly found in the handling of some of the distorted drum patterns, as well as occasionally the lyrical themes - but that's about it.

Given such a variety of female vocalists on this album, it's surprising that main man Helder Camberos is able to keep it all together and flowing smoothly. The delivery from his collection of "Isis" sirens is more or less in a similar vein, minimising the disjointedness that a variety of vocalists might engender. Their sexily-spoken vocal phrases reference everything from sex to technology, like a randy bunch of seducing, sex-mad fembots from the future.