Calvin Harris - I Created Disco (2007) Review
Released in 2007, I Created Disco is the first album by legendary EDM producer Calvin Harris. All the songs were written and produced by Harris himself.
The album begins with “Merrymaking At My Place,” featuring great analog sounds like the bass and synths. The vocals aren’t my favorite, but they’re tongue-in-cheek, and Harris knows his voice isn’t amazing. However, what he lacks in vocal talent, he makes up for with charm. The song is a fine intro overall, but nothing crazy.
“Colours” is catchy as fuck. It has a great bass sound, and the contrast with the toy-sounding synth is awesome. One of my all-time favorite genres is the electronic indie dance music of the mid-2000s, spearheaded by James Murphy. This song is reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem, and Harris’ vocals work perfectly here, unlike in some other songs on the album.
“This is the Industry” has a fantastic instrumental. My favorite part is when the synths with a long release come in; you can get lost in all the layers. The “this is the industry” vocal being repeated is fine but starts to feel tiring by the end. This song transitions immediately into “The Girls,” which starts with funny lyrics clearly meant to be in good fun. “The Girls” is an amazing, classic song and another catchy as fuck banger. The live drums add a punchy layer that hits harder than a drum machine alone. The synth melody and sound are amazing, some of the best on the album. Whatever synth he uses around 3:13 should be documented and used in every song.
The album goes straight into the next big single, “Acceptable in the 80’s.” At his best, Calvin Harris is a legend in creating some of the catchiest melodies, even before he was a world-famous DJ. The production on this track is interesting because it sounds like an EDM song stuck in an indie shell.
“Acceptable in the 80’s” leads into “Neon Rocks,” which sounds like a proto-progressive house track, though not fully realized, like it’s still on the loading screen. Some sounds here seem like precursors to those on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, especially during the outro. “Traffic Cops” has a nice melody played on what sounds like analog synths but doesn’t offer much more than an interlude.
“Vegas” is a vague reprise of “Acceptable in the 80’s,” at least in its main bass melody. The track takes on more of its own sound halfway through with the introduction of shimmery synths. It’s a solid song that gets better as it goes on. The run from “The Girls” to this song is incredible. The title track, “I Created Disco,” misses the mark because it lacks a strong hook. It has the skeleton of a good song and the potential to be better.
“Disco Heat” is more in line with The Rapture’s “House of Jealous Lovers.” This song has awesome synths, and every time Harris uses analog synths, it’s like heaven to me. The guitar cuts through the mix at the exact right moments. The production on this track is exactly what I want to hear from this genre.
“Vault Character” is barely a song at only 8 seconds long and just serves as a transition. “Certified” takes too long to get going and doesn’t feel worth the wait. It has interesting moments but should’ve been cut for a more cohesive album. It doesn’t justify its 4-minute length and sounds like it should’ve been a B-side.
“Love Souvenir” begins with a nice orchestra sample, reminiscent of the jazzy, chill beats that became popular around 2016/17 in hip-hop and indie rock. This track should’ve been the album’s closer, giving it a festival-ending, lights-are-on feel.
The final track, “Electro Man,” has a New Order, 80s-inspired sound. The toy-like synths are awesome, and I will defend them till I die. Generally, I dislike 808 cowbells, but they work fine here. This is the prettiest yet most melancholy song on the album. “Electro Man” works as a closing track, but I still think “Love Souvenir” would’ve wrapped up the album better.
I would pay a stupid amount of money to see Calvin Harris play a throwback set with a live band featuring songs from this album and Ready for the Weekend, where he refines this sound. That probably won’t happen since he’s stated he thinks all this is shit. Either way, this is a pretty good debut album with loads of charm.
Speedrun the Album: “Merrymaking At My Place,” “The Girls,” “Acceptable in the 80’s,” “Vegas,” “Disco Heat,” “Love Souvenir,” “Electro Man”
7/10 - Good Album