Artist: Electrix
Label: Dallas Records
Released: 2009
Rating: 3.5/5
The young band Electrix has been turning heads for a while now with their strong live shows and, above all, with their focus on a sound that has been in decline for ages – I’m talking about good old eighties electro pop. But what could three Slovenes possibly bring to a genre that hasn’t been popular in twenty years? Their debut, out this year on Dallas, should give us the answer.
The answer is obvious from the very first bars. Nothing. But that doesn’t mean Electrix should be written off as clones right away. Even though they owe a lot to the commercial British electro pop of the eighties (Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Depeche Mode, Orgy,…), what really makes Electrix shine is their knack for writing seriously catchy melodies. Sure, they get a bit repetitive after a while, but in moderate doses listening to them is a thoroughly pleasant experience. Some might be bothered that these guys are so firmly stuck in the eighties (the music really sounds like it belongs there), but anyone who loves that era (me included) will be happy with what they’ve cooked up. For the most part it’s pretty easygoing, cheerful rhythms, but so things don’t get too one-note, Electrix throw in a few more dramatic and darker moments too. They haven’t reached the artistry of the likes of Depeche Mode, but every beginning is a good one, and I think it’s precisely in those more dramatic twists that Electrix still have some room to grow. We’ll see what the future brings.
I think Electrix’s music has to be taken as a whole, since the technical chops of the individual members aren’t all that clear. All that matters is the end product, which shows these guys have put together tight music full of listenable, upbeat melodies. A big chunk of it is built on keyboard lines that are typical of the eighties, yet so juicy and cheerful they put a smile on your face. The singer has the right voice for this music too – almost a little sugary, but perfect for the genre. The drummer, with his synthetic drums, just puts the cherry on top and shows this really is synthetic electro pop of the kind the eighties did best.
It also feels worth touching on the lyrics. At first glance they look like shallow stories from modern life, about all sorts of quick love flings, and so on. But personally, I think Electrix did it with a heaping dose of sarcasm and social criticism, because the lyrics quite often “radiate” mockery of modern values, of “instant” living, of shopping culture, of quick little love affairs and more. So even if the music feels light, there’s something more going on beneath it (at least as far as the lyrics go).
Electrix is a band that was missing from the Slovenian scene, since electro pop has never been all that popular here until now. Maybe this new lineup will change that. They definitely have that certain “something” that could make them better known in the media. By that “something” I mainly mean their melodies, which slip right into your ear and stay with you, so you’re whistling them for ages while driving in the car, riding the bus, or driving your coworkers up the wall with them at work. So Electrix are useful in several ways, and most of all in the musical one, of course. I just hope they’re not a one-hit wonder and that they keep going with this music, whether or not they ever find commercial success.
Lineup
Kamikaze – vocals, effects
Moroderu – keyboards, guitar
Fish – drums
Production
Peter Penko and Electrix
Tracklist
1. Last Kiss
2. Taja
3. Radio
4. Ljubezen v avtu
5. Razprodaja
6. Janez
7. Sonce po dežju
8. Dolce Vita
9. Nobody needs to know
10. Sci-Fi song
11. Bleed
Bonus tracks:
12. Catch me
13. Dreamin’
14. Soap Love
15. Waitin’
