It’s been over thirty years since Luke Vibert dropped the first solo record of his career, Wagon Christ’s Phat Lab Nightmare, kicking off a prolific and pioneering electronic legacy, and he’s keen to keep the Wagon Christ name alive. After a string of records for Ninja Tune, things lay dormant for almost a decade until he revived the project in 2020, and how he’s back yet again with Wagon Christ’s 8th album.
Planet Roll shows off both Vibert’s humour and expert craftsmanship with psychedelic orchestral flips threaded into fluttering, hypnotic boom bap rhythms. Eager to welcome us aboard, the title track is crisp with vintage vocal samples and choppy rhythms driven by soulful Hammond organ vibrations, a woozy curtain open before stitching samples into a tongue in cheek mythology on Wagon Christ’s disappearance over the jaunty piano chords of ‘Boy Zero’, and taking a funky, playful tour through one of pop culture’s favourite words on ‘Bitch [Original Ruler]’ as melodies switch between light, tropical and spiky zigzags.
Acid has been Vibert’s weapon of late as he joined De:tuned in 2023, and when Vibert does say ‘Acid’, he means acid, (Well, what were you expecting?) amplifying the anticipation the track title bodes with eerie choirs and throaty low brass before snapping beats tie everything together. ‘Sidney Groovey’ continues on that dancefloor tip with a steely, leery, imposing electro beat, splashed with the colour of prismatic synth shredding and a frantic buzz slipping around.
Through kaleidoscopic passages of sampledelic hip hop rhythms and breakbeat grooves, Luke Vibert brings Wagon Christ back into view.Tracklist:
1. Planet Roll
2. Snatch
4. Boy Zero
5. Bitch (Original Ruler)
6. I'm Sorry
7. Can't Stop (Don't Stop)
8. Supagroovy
9. THIS
10. Boom Bip
11. Acid
12. Housin'
13. Sidney Groovey
14. Unsure
15. Style
