INTERNATIONAL PONY are a triumvirate of three star German DJS - DJ Koze, Cosmic DJ and Eurobique - who hail from Flensburg and Hamburg and initially got together in a Berlin hotel room to forge the sweet'n'phonky sounds permeating "We Love Music."
The open-minded, all-embracing album title gives you some idea of the relaxing eclecticism of the end results, too. Clearly, good vibes head the Pony agenda, with the three band members (and collaborators DJ Don Dougie, Austin Cole and Deejay Punk Roc) concentrating on producing whatever sounds the grooviest rather than aiming to score too many digital brownie points.
It's by no means a seamless listen, though. Indeed, your tolerance of Herbie Hancock/ Laurie Anderson vocoder overload may decide whether you can stomach several tracks, although Pony have surely done their homework with attention to detail really showing through. For instance, "Pony The Funk" likeably replicates George Clinton's P-funk sound, "Hangin' Around '02" does a credible enough De La Soul and "Meet Some Friends" mines a highly laid-back, but passable (erk!) jazz-funk seam. And no, you don' need to run away from that term for once.
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But despite the warmth and good intentions, too much of "We Love Music" is taken up by cul-de-sacs and blind alleys. The linking tracks like "Hello!" and "...goodbye" are pointless, while the other brief snippet "Disney Boys" is just plain stupid.
The majority of the remainder disappoints, too. Even allowing for Matthias Strzoda's crisp drumming, "Superyou" is a throwaway instrumental, while "A New Bassline For Jose" is one-dimensional and "Why Why Why" equally under-achieving. Indeed, it's left to the intriguing, timpani-led "Les Parapluies de Saint Georg" and the sublime radio edit of "Leaving Home" to lead any form of rearguard, but by then it's largely too little too late.
Overall, then, "We Love Music" has its' moments and is joyful, party-friendly dance music at its' (sporadic) best. Unfortunately, while they start their circuit competently enough, International Pony finish it with at least 8 faults and a refusal on the board.
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