The Juan MacLean

The Juan Maclean is actually John Maclean, former member of Six Finger Satellite. That group could always be relied upon whenever sharp guitar riffs and annoying effects were called for, and now it seems the Juan Maclean will be able to deliver an electro groove and annoying effects with the same amount of regularity. Released and produced by the DFA, "By the Time I Get to Venus" is the type of track that gets reviewed with phrases and words like "pop and lock," "quirky," "robotic," and "groovy" put to frequent use. Sure enough, it's a song that would hold up well in a set featuring early electro favorites like George Kranz's "Din Daa Daa" and later nu-electro like Felix da Housecat's "Silver Screen." The "&"By the Time I Get to Venus (41 Small Stars)" remix by the Beastie Boys' King Ad-Rock radically reworks the original, but does nothing to improve on it. The bonus track, "TG-3X," is a decent, but by-the-numbers, house/techno hybrid. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide