Chromeo’s ‘Drive Time’…the smallest record ever made!

This week we received, in the post, a copy of ‘Drive Time’, Chromeo’s new record.

And it’s a new record in more ways than one.

First, it is a record. I know I call everything ‘a record’, but that’s just ‘cos I’m old, ‘Drive Time’ is actually a vinyl release and secondly it is a new record in the sense that it has absolutely smashed any and all previous world record holders for the smallest record ever made!

Tiny!

That’s just the promo! The full album will clock in at just over three minutes and a mind boggling 55 tracks. With those kinds of numbers ‘Drive Time’ laughs in the face of the previous smallest record’s length. That of Cattle Decapitation’s ‘Human Jerky’, a yawn inducing 12m36s.

Also, for the first time the album sees Chromeo’s music taking on a political theme in the lead track, the thoughtfully titled ‘Turn Left’, albeit rolled up in their Electro-Disco-Pop-Funk.

Take a look at this video of the guys and legendary producer Dave Bascombe working on the project. Dave and P speak about their motives and inspiration.

So, what does it actually sound like?

Well, it’s good, short, but good. It’s amazing how in, sometimes as short a time as a few seconds (or the lead track, ‘Turn Left’s ONE SECOND!), each track is unmistakably Chromeo.

Each track could have quite easily been a joke. I have never heard the previous record holder but I presume it was some kind of Death Metal album and each track was just a brief noise, well with ’Drive Time’ each track has actually been written. Take ‘Follow’ for example, in it’s seven seconds, there is a distinct bass riff, vocal harmonies, a chord progression and a lead line. In seven seconds!

Have a (brief) listen.