home video - citizen ep
proving that the sheffield label is indeed going through a period of positive change and branching away from pure electronica we come to this second release by the brooklyn 3 piece, who were originally from new orleans. that's not to say that the band don't use a lot of techno toys in the making of these tracks, its just that there is a lot more emotional warmth in this 5 tracker than in many of the labels previous output.
the first thing that hits you in the face on the first few listens is the bass on a couple of tracks that bookend the ep. fat and large and very threatening, the reference point is large and proud - peter hook. in fact it's so apparent throughout that it completely overshadows most of the tracks, making the ep sound like a strange new hybrid of pre-baggy factory records releases and kraftwerk.
i'll come clean. i love this ep.
in fact, i have played this record more times in the last few weeks than anything else i have received recently, something about the overall grey nature of the music and atmosphere just keeps pulling me back in. i guess the timing of the release is perfect, if this had come out in spring i suspect it would not have worked, but as the days are getting shorter and the darkness is becoming more intense, these 80's melancholy monochromatic electro-pop have became a perfect soundtrack.
so here's a quick easy rundown :
1. citizen - pumped up massive doom laden bass line thrusts the track into overdrive. new order - styled layered guitars.
2. we - more mellow. much more electro. lots of synths. doubled up vocals.
3. blimp mansion - gorgeous kraftwerk type pop music. clean, hygenic pop music that should last longer than the allowed 2.5 minutes.
4. in a submarine - thankfully nothing to do with the moptops. 80's synths, thin beats, depressing vocals.
5. the tundra - the return of the driving bass line. layered with far-off echoed vocals, and the aforementioned electro sounds - epic and stunning, in a quietly disconcerting way.