24 January 2008
Was the nation of ‘Maniac 2000’ finally losing its taste for Euro-dance anthems? Certainly there used to be more of these records at number one in Ireland. And since in my ‘Maniac 2000’ treatise I linked the prevalence of Euro-house-trance bangers at number one to a feel-good factor of Irish society, their absence was a clear bellwether of impending social feel-bad: maybe even some sort of catastrophic economic crash involving strict budgetary austerity and loss of fiscal sovereignty. Anyway, we’ll just have to see how 2008 plays out.
Basshunter’s ‘Now You’re Gone’ follows the Cascada template of a nightclub 2-in-1: slow-set verses, floor-filler chorus. However, it’s completely unremarkable and forgettable. Seriously, there’s no memorable lyric or hook here, even with a Scooter-style “Are you ready?” shout-out. It’s not even interesting enough to be bad. Was there some sort of TV tie in—a swingeing body count on Grey’s Anatomy or the like—that got this to number one in Ireland and the UK, then kept it at the top of both charts for five weeks? Otherwise I can’t see the appeal – unless the people of 2008 had an inkling there was only one last Euro-trance night out left before the big dog of all socio-economic comedowns.
