Rue Oberkampf - Waveclash
Monday morning, for me it either goes with pleasant drone/synth-ambient or melodic and classic pop music. This morning in the car I went with something which exists (kind of) somewhere in-between those two definitions.
Rue Oberkampf (also being a street in Paris named after a German-born French industrialist) hails from Munich, Germany (I think). They/(she) doesn't sing in German though but using the French language instead (she is 50% German and 50% French). Which sort of connects the band-name with the language. They are a minimal/cold-wave inspired electronic act, which just has had their debut mini-album release called Waveclash on No Emb Blanc. It has been released on compact-disc, 12" vinyl plus an edition both including the compact-disc plus the 12" vinyl version in one?. Like I mentioned earlier we´re dealing with an EP/mini-album, 5 tracks about 25 minutes long.
Obviously, they are inspired by electronic-based new-wave music and later electro-clash... so of course, they have chosen to call their release, Waveclash. Yup, kind of uninspired name for this release. I was told that the EP title is a statement, regarding their new fusion between electro-clash and electro-wave (all those styles!) But who cares? If this kicks ass, then the EP-title/statement doesn't mean a damn thing! Boring cover as well, circles with some background marble colors?
Another thing (worth taking notice of) is that the EP has been mastered by none-other then Eric Van Monterghem. Who is he? A member of the classic minimal-wave act Absolute Body Control, who would of course later be turned into the more industrial-inspired act the Klinik. So....
It´s quite professional, sleek and streamlined made... I have this thing/issue about certain vintage genres from old days. Minimal-wave/Cold-wave/electronic post-punk etc etc (from days of old) were made on cheap and tricksy synths, crunchy sounds and drum-machines not always following the strict rhythms. But who cared? ... It was punk, a primal force which is (still) loved for its glitches and faults in the raw sound. Now we are having acts which dig that old-sound, which is great because the music from those days was great! The only problem being around this is that all the raw sound-faults and not-intentional glitches of old machinery can be removed, and some will (sadly) smooth these issues out. That is the thing about this act, it just sounds... to controlled and non-experimental, which kind of takes the electronic-edge away from it. To me, it doesn't actually sound like a band who enjoys(having fun) at what they are actually doing. No "dangerous" risks are being taken. Just ain´t enough meat on this bone.
One good thing I can say about this is that they are doing it by-the-book. If you do like the sound of cold-wave/minimal-wave inspired modern acts, and having second thoughts about that dirty-sound of older bands from the early 80s... then this is a good place to start! (nonetheless). Best track on the album has to be Le Train, sad thing that is the shortest track though. Being also a cover-version of Absolute Body Control.
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