Holograms - Holograms

Now comes a foray into a musical genre I tend to shy away from: post punk. Holograms is a Swedish band with a neat sound, some 'down' electro-vibes, and '70s throwback vocalwork.

As a subgenre I'm not used to listening to, Holograms' self-titled release comes across as unique and interesting. The electronic influences in particular strike me as appealing. They're subtle and effective, and although they don't always pop up, when they do it changes the entire feel of the track. This self-titled is generally drenched in urban despair - the hallmark of many post rock and shoegaze bands mixed with the angst of late '70s punk - and the electronic element creates some variety. "ABC City" is a wonderfully addictive track that uses an electronic synth beat to carry the melody. Others like the follow-up "Stress" are extremely dissonant. Oft littered with janky, dissonant guitarwork, these songs are appealing and jarring in the context of the album.

Still there are some more standard tracks on the album like "Apostate" and "Astray." The former features mellowed snare rolls which contrast nicely with the denser distortion applied to the energetic guitarwork. It's easily one of the heavier tracks on the album along with the absolutely janky "A Tower." This delightful track has my favorite riffs on the album. They work wonderfully with the bouncing bassline.

The synth and electro elements never become overbearing and generally serve as nuances and effective enhancements of Holograms' core sound. It's nice hearing a band use these subtleties to such a high degree of quality. The production and mixing is generous to these elements as well, and each instrument is given its fair share of the frequency platform. Contextually each track works too, which is nice. I tend to like when an artist creates a 'complete' album with their tracklist, even if it's as simple as exploring one special idea through the variety in their tracks.

Some of the tracks, although contextually fitting, are a bit dull however. The closer is a five-minute borefest for example. The aforementioned "Astray" is also completely forgettable. "Fever" luckily evolves into something more interesting than the upbeat intro riff, but sadly "Transform" never really gets there. It's a short song, and it resolves without accomplishing anything. I feel more when I listen to thirty-second grindcore tracks, and that's a bit more than mildly depressing.

I have to say the vocals definitely won't be for everyone, and they tend to carry their own melody. Good thing I'm not everyone. I'd have to say Holograms' self-titled is a success. Definitely a band to keep an eye on in the future.

7.5 out of 10

Tracklisting:

1. Monolith
2. Chasing My Mind
3. Orpheo
4.. Memories of Sweat
5. Transform
6. Apostate
7. ABC City
8. Stress
9. Astray
10. A Tower
11. Fever
12. You Are Ancient (Sweden's Pride)
Listen // Buy

James Pants - Seven Seals

Ugh. This week is fucking awful, busy, and stressful, so expect a lot of late reviews (like this one) that I start and never end up finishing on time.

James Pants is a DJ from Texas with an interesting style that apparently changes or at least fluctuates between a few ends of the vast electronic spectrum every album. On Seven Seals, we have James Pants attempting to create some infectious boogie grooves with no-wave dissonances, and just from the use of the word "dissonance," you should know I'm going to enjoy this.

The cult-inspired album art was a big draw for me. A friend mentioned this album as electro-pop and I was in the mood for something different, so I checked it out based on the album art alone. Baphomets and dark artwork with a Biblical-themed title isn't the first thing you expect when you hear "pop," but Seven Seals isn't exactly an archetypal release either.

As funky dance music to Pants' fictional cult, this album serves its purpose. The latter part of the album in particular has this merit: "I Promise I Lied," "Thin Moon," and "Now Let Me Brush You" have great funk-ridden basslines and beats. The first half of the album feels a bit more straightforward, often relying on normal indie pop/rock conventions. That doesn't mean these tracks are dull. "A Chip In The Hand" and "I Live Inside An Egg" are uplifting, upbeat, and a just a little bit weird. "Beyond Time" is the most aggressive track on the album with a highly distorted riff-beat, and the straight eighth notes on "Thin Moon" are melodic and driving. There's plenty of no-wave sound and dissonance in the beats and riffs, like on "Not Me," which features some cool tritones. "Wash To Sea" also features some great saxophone-sample harmonies to go with the dissonant melodies, and is one of the more low-key tracks on Seven Seals.

The biggest problem I have with Seven Seals is that these boogie-beats do not feel fresh or dirty in the slightest. Some of the effects are really lame-sounding and ugly (not in a good way), like they came straight out of the pro-tools box. Some of the tracks, like the opener and "I Saw You" are pretty forgettable and boring too. The album was apparently recorded by Pants over a weekend of reading cult-themed books in a cabin somewhere. Seven Seals certainly sounds that way. It has that cult atmosphere, and the DIY feel of using stock samples, albeit well.

7.0 out of 10

Tracklisting:

1. The Eyes Of The Lord
2. A Chip In The Hand
3. Beyond Time
4. I Live Inside An Egg
5. Wormhole
6. Sky Warning
7. Seven Seals Theme
8. Thin Moon
9. Not Me
10. I Saw You
11. Now, Let Me Brush You
12. I Promise I Lied
13. Wash To Sea
14. Aqua Sun
15. Oceans

Zammuto - Zammuto

Zammuto is a new indie synthpop group with electro-infused grooves formed by members of now-defunct The Books. I hear great things about The Books all the time, but after listening to Zammuto's self-titled, I can't really say I'm excited to check them out if they're similar in the slightest.

 

This IS indie synthpop. I knew that going in I would be subject to experimental beats and odd computerized sounds, hoping many of them didn't feel cheap. Luckily most of the sounds used on here have a bit of grit to them, making it accessibly dirty. The songwriting bounces around between funk-grooves (see: "Zebra Butt"), math rock guitar riffing on "Groan Man, Don't Cry," and more complacent, straightforward beats like on "Weird Ceiling." Like a jack-of-all-trades, Zammuto are a master of none of these styles, and the horrid vocal distortions and mixing make it painful to listen to.

There's only so much of a vocoder one can take. I mean if you think you can handle more, go for it, but I certainly can't. Zammuto abuses the effect until your own hatred for it will make you want to join the band in beating the computer (or pedal) into a bloody pulp. It's disgustingly overused on literally every track that its presence is felt, except perhaps "Idiom Wind" which is a nice, mellowed out break that comes too early in the album to serve as one.

My irritation when listening to the vocals is mostly due to the mixing. As primarily a pop album, Zammuto's self-titled has the vocals mixed very high, and thus they overpower the beats and harmonies that the album tries so hard to envelop the listener with. The only exceptions to this would be "Idiom Wind" and the closer, "Full Fading" which features a melancholic vocal line and chord progression. It sounds like Bon Iver, which isn't much of a good thing, but it works well here.

Zammuto's self-titled isn't entirely on the level of horrible I've made it seem. Some of the beats are pretty cool, and I like the riff-heavy sound of "Zebra Butt," the mellow progression on "Shape Of Things To Come," and the intro to "Groan Man, Don't Cry," but some of the tracks reach self-indulgent levels of annoyingness, and the shit mixing doesn't help either.

4.75 out of 10
 
Tracklisting:

1 Yay
2 Groan Man, Don't Cry
3 Idiom Wind
4 Crabbing
5 F U C-3PO
6 Too Late To Topologize
7 Zebra Butt
8 Weird Ceiling
9 Harlequin
10 The Shape Of Things To Come
11 Full Fading

Stream here.

John Talabot - Fin

Apparently "deep house" is a real subgenre of house. Nothing I knew before listening to John Talabot's ƒin, despite all the hipsters and electro-heads going wild over it. I'm not too big on house in general and I tend to prefer the more hardcore-driven genres like Rotterdam and gabber. Despite my house inhibition I really enjoyed ƒin.

As a new listening experience I might be biased, but John Talabot's producing here is great. There's lots of textured, layered beats drenched in melancholia, an emotion seldomly heard in electronic music I feel. The seven-and-a-half minute opener "Depak Ine" serves as a fun (if simple) disco-groove with a preview of the layering and textures you'll soon hear on ƒin. The track reeks of an eerie dimness, and leads perfectly into an album highlight "Destiny" featuring Barcelona's Pional. I don't know much about his work, but whatever he did on here is really cool. "Destiny" features one of the few vocal melodies, notable others being on the tracks "Estiu," a favorite of my roommate that sounds very R&B-esque, and the closer "So Will Be Now," also featuring Pional. "Journeys" feat. Ekhi is another track that utilizes vocal melodies but in a way that doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album. It's not bad - but it doesn't fit the atmosphere of the album very well.

For the most part that dismal, half-light eeriness is present throughout the entirety of ƒin. "Last Land" features some nice synth melodies and even the more dance-oriented tracks like "When The Past Was Present" are smitten with a case of sadness as well. It's an atmosphere that really sticks with the album, but it's not very negative sounding. It's almost a sort of cynical happiness - something that I find most people could relate to on some level. With that feel John Talabot has crafted one of the better album entries in the house subgenre. It's one that I'm not too familiar with I feel like any fan of dance-house could enjoy ƒin.

7.75 out of 10

Tracklisting:

1. Depak Ine
2. Destiny (feat. Pional)
3. El Oeste
4. Oro Y Sangre
5. Journeys (feat. Ekhi)
6. Missing You
7. Last Land
8. Estiu
9. When the Past Was Present
10. H.O.R.S.E.
11. So Will Be Now... (feat. Pional)