Black Devil were once more of a myth than a band. Their first LP, Disco Club, was originally released in 1978, in such a miniscule run that copies were almost impossible to find. Then, in 2004, Aphex Twin's label Rephlex announced that they'd bought a copy for pennies in a flea market, and were re-issuing the album. When it emerged, Disco Club sounded so fresh (and the story behind its rediscovery was so neat), that many suspected Aphex of adopting the Black Devil moniker for yet another of his pranks.

But this was the real deal, and Black Devil were revealed to be two Parisian library composers, Bernard Fevre and Jacky Giordano. The reissue spurred Favre to re-activate Black Devil as a solo project; Eight Oh Eight is his second album of new material in as many years (quite something, when you consider the 28-year gap between Black Devil's debut and sophomore LPs). While the synth-heavy, burbling take on disco that Black Devil pioneered is currently enjoying a new wave of popularity, Favre remains the fascinating misfit in the pack. Eight Oh Eight crystallises his spectral, deliciously uneasy sound. Over six tracks, Moroder-esque disco is refracted into macabre new shapes.… read more »