Machinegong

Mahjongg's debut EP does settle onto a stool overlooking the crowded dance-punk dancefloor, but don't call it a classification, because this sound's been here for years. Sure, there's more Gang of Four and NYC hip-hop sourcing in Machinegong's dub patois than the Halo Benders ever drizzled over their plates. But this stuff nevertheless harkens back to those early-'90s days of Dub Narcotic Sound System and the like, an earlier version of indie rock's occasional fascination with the politics of dancing. "Countdown [The Chicken]" checks "Electric Avenue" in Mellotron over sloppy bass thump and insistent cracked disco; is that a cowbell in the background? In typically cool Mahjongg fashion, the track disassembles into electronic squelch and vintage synth sound-effects triggers before bringing that beat back for a final oh-so-hip do-si-do. Fellow standout "Aluminum"'s droll vocal detachment and trebly guitar puts it closer to arch post-punk than the EP's equally entertaining remainder, which features clever studio concoctions crammed with at-odds drum tracks, left-field references to Desmond Tutu, and rudimentary — i.e., rad — hooks fashioned from snipped and glued guitar and sampling source material.