Available on: Domino LP

I’m probably not the only person who was surprised when it was first announced a couple of years back that The Count (Josh ‘Herve’ Harvey) and (Graeme) Sinden had signed to Domino and were planning an album together. As both producers and DJs they seemed so of the moment that you seriously wondered whether, by the time they put a full-length collection together, the pulse of clubland fashion would have moved on. And, even if they were still in vogue, would they be able to put together anything more substantial than a collection of would-be bangers?

To avoid falling into the latter trap, C&S have followed the same blueprint as other club-based album acts such as Gorillaz, Basement Jaxx and the Chemical Brothers, namely collaborating with a load of guests to inject a bit of variety into proceedings. But whereas say Plastic Beach mines the A-list of cred guest vocalists (Bobby Womack, Lou Reed, Mark E. Smith, etc.), C&S for the most part opt for fresh, young talents (the likes of Bashy, Katy B and Rye Rye).  Little-known Bay Area rapper Trackademicks is also brought in for the opening ‘Do You Really Want It?’, a bombastic piece of martial electro with a John Carpenter-esque middle section

You must have spent the entire summer indoors if you haven’t heard the album’s second track, ‘After Dark’. Deservedly an indie-club crossover anthem, this joint effort with Mystery Jets has even snuck onto daytime Radio 1, although disappointingly not into the Top 40.

‘Desert Rhythm’ gives Funky an Arabian makeover with the addition of an Oud. It’s a cool track, but I can’t help thinking of Jonathan Richman’s deeply corny ‘Egyptian Reggae’ whenever I hear it. No such problems with ‘Hardcore Girls’, however. The excellent 2008 single featuring Rye Rye is reworked to give it a more up-to-date feel. ‘Roll Out’ sees another US collaborator brought in, as 77Klash adds a Dancehall flavour to this snare-driven electro-funky number.

The rest of the album alternates between club-focused tracks created by The Count & Sinden alone, and collaborations, which have more pop appeal. BRIT School graduates Katy B and Bashy are drafted in for the the ridiculous catchy ‘Hold Me’ and ‘Addicted to You’ respectively. The former is like Lovers Rock beautifully delivered at UKF speed, while Bashy’s cut is one of the more pleasurable and memorable electro/grime/R&B crossovers of recent times.

The album’s other collaboration slows the pace (and changes language), as Coolio Iglesias sings the yearning ‘Llamamé’ (‘Call Me’) over a twisted cumbia beat. Of the remaining pure floorfillers, ‘Panther’ also reworks cumbia, combining it with big cat growls, bandoneons and big house beats. Like a journey from the clubs of Bogota to Buenos Aires via Dalston. Elsewhere, ‘Elephant 1234’ delivers instantly catchy, bleep-filled banging ghetto house and ‘Mega’ full-on Afro rave with an enormous breakdown. Finally, ‘You Make Me Feel So Good’ is a proper “reflective” album closer, all synth washes, plaintive vocals and reverberation.

A good, not great, record – there are too few truly standout tracks for that accolade – Mega Mega Mega shows The Count & Sinden are ready to take on the mantle of the dance act that mainstream album buyers can enjoy.

Justin Toland