Being silly and funky at the same time isn't easy, but producer
Alex Gimeno's project
Ursula 1000 often sounds like
the Art of Noise went kitsch, and maybe never more so than on the fantastic
Voyeur. This ridiculous mix of quirky samples and dancey beats comes off as an after-hours party at Pee-Wee's Playhouse, where campy guests like Puddles Pity Party (a "sad, sad clown" and
Perry Como sound-alike) stop by with a full-bodied cover of
Tony Bennett's hit "The Shadow of Your Smile."
Ursula supplies the funky electro beat underneath, but when drag queen and Wigstock founder Lady Bunny applies her diva style to "Blast Off!," it's as if
Deee-Lite reunited for one night of space disco dancing.
Yello comes to mind as the hot and spicy "Tropical Intention" rapidly chugs along, but there's nothing cheeky about the indie house "Faded Denim Wash" or the deep house "Dancing Underground," although both cuts are lighthearted. As much as
Ursula has been known to raise the roof,
Voyeur is an even-keeled release with midtempo exotica (the shuffling calypso of "Supersonic Sounds" is somewhere between
Steinski and
Señor Coconut) and
Moby-like numbers ("I Got What You Need" features lush strings, twangy guitars, and gospel-sized vocals) breaking up the pace. Too bad it doesn't come with a representative and swanky title like All Systems Are Go Go or
Mondo Beyondo, but otherwise is this is a near perfect
Ursula 1000 album and an asset to any swinging pad. ~ David Jeffries