One Night/All Night & Generator by Justice | Song Review
The French electronic duo return 8 years later with 2 brand new tracks off their upcoming album Hyperdrama.
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Getting not one, but two new tracks from Justice was not on my 2024 bingo card. “One Night/All Night” and its B-side “Generator” are the duo’s first pieces of new music since 2016. With their next album titled Hyperdrama set to drop in April, Justice has set expectations quite high with these new singles.
“One Night/All Night” is certainly the highlight out of the 2 tracks, as it features none other than Tame Impala, who brings about a psychedelic disco feel to the group’s dark, techno atmosphere. It works remarkably well, as I find it blends both Justice and Tame Impala’s distinct styles nicely. You get the slick synths and heavy basslines from the duo that carry the whole track, mixed in with Kevin Parker’s soothing melodies.
There’s a solid balance between this techno/disco vibe and the song doesn’t fully commit to either style, I think it makes the track even better. My only gripe, however, is the lyrics. Parker’s knack for strong songwriting takes a backseat here, as he pretty much repeats the chorus for the entirety of the song. It’s almost like a mantra (“And I could be your woman. ’Cause if that’s the only answer, then we could be together.”) that gets repeated over and over.
“Generator” on the other hand, is a return to form for Justice. The instrumental track is an aggressive, hardcore techno tune that exudes that 90’s, underground rave scene energy. I’m talking about Wesley Snipes’ Blade entering the Vampire Club kind of energy. This hard-hitting track juxtaposes the groovy melodies of “One Night/All Night”, and teases the possibility that there will be more songs like this on Hyperdrama.
I’m a huge fan of Daft Punk and Gesaffelstien, and “Generator” is very much in line with the techno-house/industrial genre that those artists are known for. The beat and the synths here are dark and punchy, and grab your attention for the majority of the song’s runtime. Personally, “Generator” is my favourite out of the 2 songs.
Overall, these two new singles off of Hyperdrama were a nice surprise from Justice. After 8 years they’ve returned with some solid tracks to build up the hype for their upcoming album. They’ve got me excited to hear what they have in store this April. I still hold their debut album up quite highly, so I’m eager to hear how they’ve evolved their sound over the years.
For my final ratings, I’m giving “One Night/All Night” a 7/10, and for “Generator” I’m feeling an 8/10. I’m curious to hear if there will be any other collabs to look forward to (Perhaps a certain Starboy might make an appearance?). We’ll have to wait until this spring to find out!
