Neon Lies - S/T
Think I am getting into these outsider electronic-acts hailing from Croatian. The latest discovery is the debut cassette release from Neon Lies (self-titled). A rough and raw 25 minutes journey into harsh metropolitan synth punk, not that far from the likes of Suicide and Neon Judgement.
This debut cassette is limited to 150 copies, comes in silver mirror sleeves! And yes, it does look extremely sexy, shiny and sleek! (photo below).
I am not much into newer acts reviving the angst of classic post-punk acts, but I do think that this act delivers something to it that maintains its honest intentions. Why? It´s pretty rough and raw, the sound is not perfect (who cares right?!), It´s not meant to be an ear-catcher and it´s definitely not a shoe-gazing hipster act trying to be darkly synth-pop 80s cool. It´s challenging and intense if you ask me, as desperation takes hold (to quote Ian Curtis). The strength in this kind of release would (again) be it´s honest intentions. And it´s none-perfection aesthetic in sound and mood, love the way the sound is. Clearly, an act who creates what the person-behind-it wants to create, not creating what the listeners want to hear. And there you have it, that is the pure intentions of punk. Fuck the listeners and hail the artist.
First tracks start with a chaotic keyboards mess, un-tight computer drums, Alan Vega´ish vocals (and those reverb effects!) and a cool and cold primitive synth melody. Next track Safe In Room starts off with a similar sound to the beat of OMD´s Enola Gay, head-crashes into early Human League´ish synths and flesh-crawling vocals. The third offering offers no salvation, a hint or two to Neon Judgement´ish Factory Walk (Could work as a continuation of that track if you ask me). Love the detail that you can only hear the drums on the left side of your speakers, and then you have the harsh synth on your right (and the vocals are on both sides!). To Nothing is the albums fourth track, tunes deeper into the throbbing electro-punk sound. A very action-driven piece... likes driving at high-speed through a derelict industrial area of the city.
The Fifth track mother tunes it down into a melancholic early industrial mood, love the metallic clashing sounds in the background. Sixth track We Lost Confidence In This Town (Kickass title), works up a menacing soundtrack mood that you might have noticed in such films like Carpenter´s Assualt At Precinct 13, might just be the best track on the album. When a soundtrack mood becomes a throbbing and aggressive electro-punk thing, really lovely!. The next track Woods almost moves into early Cure´ ish territory, something from their Pornography-era (Figurehead?), the style of the track although has that Absolute Body Control-feel (Per-Klinik group from the 80s). The eighth track Sex Without Faces follows the sound and feel like the previous track, although with way more melody (Beautiful). Last track Odds, rounds it all up with lovely rhythmic elements and vocals on raw bleeding rock n´synth knees!
And that is how you deliver your eighties (late 70s) inspired electronic-based angst music! The whole I-don´t-care-what-you-think attitude is refreshing, specifically in a world which delivers hipster DJ goths and electro-jerks with minimal-wave´ish inspired t-shirts bought at your local H&M. Do go out and get this tape! You can get the tape from the label called Cosmic Brood Records (link below!).
Bandcamp (band):
Bandcamp (facebook):
Bandcamp (label):