Pepe Deluxe

SUPER SOUND

(Emperor Norton)

Pepe Deluxe are a Finnish trio of groove-addicted instrumentalists, turntablist cut-and-scratch kids, and dance-floor-savvy programmers who've located the sweet spot that lies somewhere amid Beck's witty pomo posturing, Groove Armada's slice 'n' dice beats, and Wild Cherry's bubblegum funk. The inlay photo depicting swatches of shag rugs and plush carpeting is indicative of what's to be found on the group's debut album: acres of mostly instrumental, retrofit bell-bottom grooves; electro hip-hop; Air-y, soft-porn loungecore; and deconstructed blues and reconstructed beats.

Unfortunately, a couple of ponderous segments break the otherwise engaging spell. Until a full arrangement kicks in past the two-minute mark, for instance, "Thru the Motion" is a lumbering chunk of gothic graveyard sludge that sounds like "Iron Man"-era Sabbath trying to ape Nine Inch Nails. The tune sinks under its own considerable weight and is not the least bit redeemed by the outfit's bright idea to sprinkle in Frampton-esque talk-box chatter for effect. The crisply uptempo "Maddaddy" brings Pepe Deluxe back to their senses just in time. But it's the aptly titled "Tour de Force" that's the disc's spliced centerpiece -- a 5:40 breakbeat romp through three or four decades of dance music, from dub reggae to wah-wah-driven funk to blaxploitation soundtracks to old-school hip-hop scratching. Maybe Pepe Deluxe are just talented dilettantes with a good ear, but they've listened well.

-- Jonathan Perry