Then, in the summer of 2006, a dirty electro song named "Who's Your Daddy?", featuring a video of stripping vixens and naughty movie slogans, randomly appeared on the scene displaying an interesting and completely welcome alteration to the Benassi style. Grunge guitars replaced the frantic synths of his debut solo, and while vocalist Naan was still involved (a fact learned after the release of Rock N' Rave), it wasn't gorgeous ethereal vocals we were graced with like on her work with "Rocket In The Sky" and "Feel Alive" but blatantly sexual and clearly needy screams of overt passion.
What is Pump-kin?
2008 saw Benny receive a Grammy for best remix for his work on Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise". The remix was done in his new style, labeled "Pump-Kin" which has moved away from the signature sound of Hypnotica. That sound is largely fettered all over Benny's sophomore album, Rock 'N' Rave.
I'm not sure the best way to explain this Pump-Kin sound. "Bring the Noise" was a ton of fun, immensely danceable, and still retained enough of "Benny Benassi" for fans to identify. But on tracks like the album's opener, "Finger Food," "Here & NOW," title track "Rock 'N' Rave", and the new Pump-Kin remix of "I Love My Sex," any charm the sound may have had is instead reduced to noisy treble and messy bass. Immediately I was put off Rock 'N' Rave, worried how I could provide an ideal review for this album. I had held such high hopes for my new obsession dance album, but found myself ignoring it rather than listening to it. A large factor in this was how many of the tracks were actually designed at club length, something on a Benassi album I was unaccustomed to. I was still a little dazzled, of course, by the lead-off single "I Am Not Drunk," a track that seemed more like a throwback to Felix Da Housecat's "Cyberwhore" than anything else. A trippy beat/melody combo carries you through the track, while the female vocoder says "I am not drunk," only then to say later, "I am not drunk – enough!" Clever and well-executed, this track is the one that got me excited for Rock 'N' Rave.
Diving into the album
It is often said that the stylistic differences between Benny Benassi and the Benassi Bros. is that the latter is more focused on supporting their various vocal artists, providing an outlet for their talent. The former is meant to exhibit his own talent. So I find it strange that the most appealing tracks on Rock 'N' Rave are the vocal pieces. Starting from the beginning, we have "My Body" featuring Mia J. At 6:11, it takes a full minute before we hear her energetic talk-sing voice kick in, but it isn't a bad wait. The build-up to the chorus has a trancy almost ethereal feel to it, in the style of the Benassi Bros., before launching the bass and Pump-Kin sound back at you. "Shocking Silence", a track featuring male singer Dino, just isn't very good. It drags at 8:34, and Benny covers up the poor guy's singing with his new sound, which definitely drowns the vocals out.
