PSB’s debut in 2013 was an extremely diverting collection, though their technique of laying the sound of old public information and propaganda films over jaunty dance music couldn’t fail to mark them out as almost a borderline novelty act who were unlikely to have much of a career ahead of them. On their second album though they have chosen to focus entirely on the space missions that took place between 1957 and 72, and in doing so have made the unlikely jump to being altogether unique and rather important musical documentarians. It isn’t just the samples of 60s news reports, Kennedy’s speeches and Neil Armstrong interstellar responses that male this album so fantastic though, the music itself is an inspired and affective soundtrack that can call to mind Kraftwerk one minute, Daft Punk the next, and The Duratti Column after that. It expertly captures the excitement, tragedy, suspense and downright joy of the space missions and is so richly evocative of the thrill of the time. It makes you deeply excited to hear what they try next, though considering they have now covered up to 1972 I did contact the band and suggest they should next attempt to soundtrack humanity’s next monumental recording: ‘1994’s ‘Wibbling Rivalries‘. The band haven’t replied to my email yet.
‘Fun’ Fact: We haven’t been to the moon since 1972 because as head of NASA Charles Bolden explained ‘It’s fucking shit up there’ and that he ‘can’t be arsed’
Great, ‘musical documentarians’, can you really imagine me dancing to that when I go out to Staley Vegas on Friday? You fool, have you not seen the video to ‘Gagarin‘?
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