Propellerheads -- Decksandrumsandrockandroll

8/10

Like most folks who watched the Matrix in the theater, I was most impressed with the lobby shootout scene, and my favorite musical cue from that film was that scene's accompanying track. That was a fun theater experience even before the movie began, as I had to sneak my younger cousin into the film--post-Columbine, society's badly misaimed response was to crack down on movies and video games, instead of simply trying to better understand sociopathy. But The Rabbit and I would not be denied.
I, being of legal age, bought a Matrix ticket for myself, and he bought a ticket for EDtv, which I've heard is lousy. He did not see EDtv that day, and the thrill of sneaking him into that movie makes me feel sorry for kids coming of age in the era of assigned movie seats. How are you supposed to hide comfortably in the back row of Most Recent Sex Comedy or Newest Bloody Action Movie when some old biddy is looking at her stub, then at you, then at the seat, then back at you, then telling you to move? THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INTOLERABLE! SHE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO ENJOY THE MOVIE! THE DEMOGRAPHIC IS "FIFTEEN YEAR-OLD MALE!!!"
Anyway, in the joy that I get to regale of tales of 1999 in two reviews straight, I'm happy to say we got to see The Matrix uninterrupted on the big screen, and I immediately sought out whoever did the bass-centric music for that lobby scene.
Turns out it's a duo called Propellerheads. They have one album to their name, Decksandrumsandrockandroll, a cool blend of drum 'n'bass and cinematic touches, like a big orchestra on the reinvisioning of John Barry's theme to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service (the most underrated Bond film of all time)." Indeed, these tracks seem tailor-made to back the cinema of the late 1990's, carrying that "detritus of the 20th century" vibe I love, also found in say the music of Portishead or The Dust Brothers, though without the downbeat feel of the former, or the dark grimy layers of the latter. This is just cool, fun, mostly instrumental music, with a great energy, timeless in its datedness...and also, very, very British.
Decksandrumsandrockandroll does get a little grating in a couple of moments, namely in the repetition of its closer, but the overall quality is surprisingly on par with "Spybreak!," the song from The Matrix that hooked me so long ago.
It's as guilt-free as sneaking your 15-year-old cousin into a classic film!

Also, for some reason, watching them Matrix hasn't yet inspired him to recreate its violence.
I THOUGHT THEY SAID IT WAS THE MOVIES AND VIDEOGAMES!!!*

*movies and video games shown to cause mass incidents of run-on sentences and ALL CAPS

1998 DreamWorks
1. Take California 7:21
2. Velvet Pants 5:46
3. Better? 2:03
4. 360° (Oh Yeah?) 4:27
5. History Repeating 4:02
6. Winning Style 5:58
7. Bang On! 5:44
8. A Number Of Microphones 0:45
9. On Her Majesty's Secret Service 9:20
10. Bigger? 2:20
11. Cominagetcha 7:02
12. Spybreak! 6:58
13. You Want It Back 5:59