Forced into retirement after the death of founding member Marc Moulin in 2008, Telex’s legacy is as colourful and memorable as it is boundary-pushing. The Belgian electronic pioneers emerged at a point in time when synths were just beginning to find favour outside the laboratories of scientific creatives, but while aural peers of the time like Kraftwerk threw themselves fully into a robotic future, Telex would quickly garner a reputation for a more fun vision of man-machine musicians.
Bouncy, jaunty, uptempo and – for want of a better phrase – much rowdier than many rigid structures of formative era electronic pop, newcomers are likely to find the work spread over this career-spanning singles collection immediately engaging. Setting a benchmark at the time, and helping create a blueprint that’s still audible in may contemporary outfits (Metronomy, Jacques Le Cont), it might be erring on batshit crazy but that’s precisely the point.
