Dan Whitford, the one-man wonder behind CUT COPY, owes a debt to early Human League and New Order that can’t be overstated. But to me the glowing grays of his sonic palette feel culled from a more specific place, where overcast puddle reflections burst into petrochemical bloom–the rarefied realm of Heaven 17, Visage, and Talk Talk. And though there’s an undeniable Sumnerity to his lyrics and vocals, I also hear brighter, more psychedelic shades in his guileless warble. For last year’s Bright Like Neon Love (Modular Recordings), Whitford punched up his four-on-the-floor synth-pop with some carbon-based instrumentation, introducing hilarious chunka-chunka-chunka guitar alongside keyboard sounds that seem filched from Kraftwerk, Abba, and Fleetwood Mac. But at heart the music is auditory MDMA for the hard-core electronica set, a driving, diabolically fluid fusion of hazy old-school synth textures with the pulse and sheen of modern Eurodance titans like Air and Daft Punk. –Brian Nemtusak
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Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Kate Skennar.
