Zurich-based electronic producer Silvio Tommasini has been active under the Monoblock B moniker since 2002, during which time he’s managed to release no less than six albums as well as craft music for theatre performances and art installations. This latest ten track collection on Spezialmaterial offers up the first half of Monoblock B’s two part ‘Teatime In Medellin’ series and sees him pursuing a dark, industrial-edged electro-pop aesthetic that’s distinctly informed by the likes of The Normal, Suicide and A Split Second. While ‘The Information’ opens proceedings with a cold electro wander that’s equal parts Kraftwerk and Anthony Rother, darting drum machine snares splashing beneath cold bass-funk chords and jittering synth arpeggios in a manner that suggests pure fuel for bodypopping, ‘I Am The Air’ sees things wandering further out into New Romantic-stained EBM-electro as pneumatic 4/4 rhythms and brooding synths build beneath Boris Von Der Burg’s imperious sounding guest vocals in a way that sits far closer to the futurepop likes of Covenant, albeit given a far grittier analogue electro overhaul. Elsewhere, ‘Sick And Sonic’ sees things getting far more abstracted as snapping, stretched-out broken rhythms ricochet off an undulating backing of cold synth stabs and murmuring bass drones, in an unpredictable offering that calls to mind a more ferocious Mouse On Mars, before ‘Dirty Longstreet’ sees Monoblock joining forces with Air Afrique for a wander down into dark gothy garage rock that pits chugging, distorted guitar chords against growled vocals and a monotonous drum machine grind that sits somewhere between Suicide and one of Black Strobe’s dirty rockist outings. Those looking for a good dose of New Beat / EBM-indebted electro thump will find much to like here.
Chris Downton
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