Fads can be cool. Remember sneering at your mates for not being hip enough to know who White Ring were back in 2011 when you thought Witch-House was going to take over the world?  Fond memories eh? But inevitably all fads die out. Despite this, they’ll always be albums like Salem’s King Night which outgrow their sub-genres and morph into something more tangible which you’ll still be listening to five years down the line and thinking “damn, this is great.” Product is one of those albums.

Categorised within the ‘PC Music’ umbrella (although not technically on the niche label) known for its baby-girl vocals and candyfloss beats, Sophie stands out amongst the crowd. His material is darker, more challenging, championing a production style that is downright unsettling. The sheer lack of anything organic makes it feel cold and metallic; the only thing vaguely relatable to a human are the vocals which are so heavily distorted they sound like they’re squeezed from an android. Weirdly enough, it’s this lack of anything warm sounding which makes Product so engaging.

‘L.O.V.E.’ is the most challenging track on the album, essentially five munities of ear splitting buzzing and robotic vocal samples, which despite being difficult to listen to showcases Sophie’s capacity to be confrontational as well as fun. The album’s best, however, is ‘Just Like We never Said Goodbye’ which takes a simple four chord structure and bubbly synth sound to make what’s probably the best pop song I’ve heard all year.

When PC Music inevitably dies a gruesome death at the hands of a megastar trying to dip their wick in the genre, I’ll still be able to listen to this album and appreciate it for what it is: a brilliant, avant-guard piece of electronic music.

P.S – for those who fancy buying this album it’s available as a free download when you purchase one of his specially branded puffa-jackets, pair of high heels or, brilliantly, silicone butt-plugs.

Max Roe