REVIEW: Sampology 'Doomsday Deluxe' LP

In 2012, you can’t escape the end of the world — and I don’t mean you won’t be fast enough to outrun the four horsemen...

A fascination with the apocalypse burns within our collective consciousness, sparked by a questionable interpretation of the ancient Mayan calendar and fanned by religious fundamentalists, global political unease and good old mob panic. Of course, there’s no real evidence to say the world will end in 2012, but that’s never stopped people from standing on corners with cardboard signs or spending their savings on tinned food and heading into the hills with a shotgun.

Comparatively SAMPOLOGY’s response to the final reckoning is a pretty sensible one—get out your debut album while there’s more than cockroaches to hear it. Maybe a sense of impending doom on the horizon has caused him to go for broke—it’s not just his first album, but also the first concept album to envision the apocalypse as a battle between Bruce Willis and some cats.

You might have seen SAMPOLOGY on the festival circuit, where his relentlessly playful AV DJ show has earned him an admirable reputation. Doomsday Deluxe is described as “a soundtrack of sorts” for these audiovisual sets, but that’s selling it short as a standalone album. It’s a varied collection of styles and influences that nevertheless share a certain uplifting vibe—certainly no doom and gloom.

The vibe comes in right away with ‘Eagle Theme’, a bouncy, synth-laden number, strictly to be played during good times. Then it's first single ‘Stars’ features a vocal turn from Hannah Macklin and potentially starts a new apocalyptic pop subgenre.

‘Around the Globe’ is maybe the most exciting tune, a frantic jungle-inspired rhythm under a masterful toast from UK reggae don Serocee. This track, plus the Caribbean touches on ‘Killer TV’ (feat. Sunny Dread) and ‘One Man Down’ (feat. Spikey Tee), indicates a breadth of influence unusual in a debut album.

When Doomsday Deluxe closes with ‘Save Me’, a seriously warped take on an Aretha Franklin song, and ‘Final Song’, a starry-eyed UK club beat with a subtle and moody horn sample, you’ll probably be at peace with the forthcoming final judgment. It’s a shame more people aren’t inspired like SAMPOLOGY in the face of impending doom.

SAMPOLOGY is currently on a June-long ‘Super Visual Apocalypse’ Tour of Australia, more info on tickets/dates HERE

Words by Matt Nielson