Sao Paulo-based electro / synth-pop duo Tetine certainly have something of an extensive backhistory behind them, Bruno Verner (keyboards, programming, vocals, guitar) and Eliete Mejorado (vocals / keyboards / samples) first forming their creative partnership back in 1995 before going to release their debut album “Alexander’ Grave’ the following year on their own High School Records label. Over the ensuing decade, Tetine have established a reputation for working with a variety of different artists on both theatre pieces and multimedia installations, a pedigree that’s seen them release the collaborative work with French artist Sophie Calle “Samba de Monalisa’ through Robin “Scanner’ Rimbaud’ Sulphur label, open “Tropicalia – A Revolution In Brazilian Culture’ at London’ Barbican Centre and also take part in Sonar’ “SONARAMA’ installation series alongside Tomie Ohtake. While I must confess that I’ve never actually sat down and listened to Tetine prior to this review, they’re certainly prolific – indeed, “Let Your Xs Be Ys’ represents nothing less than their tenth studio album in total. While much of the accompanying press material seems keen to paint Tetine as being a baile funk act, such a minimalist description does them something of a disservice, and indeed the influences that more frequently spring to mind here sit closer to early eighties synth pop acts such as the Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode.
Opening track (and first single) “I Go To The Doctor’ certainly holds true to the aforementioned bio comparisons, its collision of buzzing analogue synth riffs, clattering 808 beats and cut-up vocals immediately sitting comfortably alongside the likes of Diplo and Bonde Do Role, and indeed, it’s the signature hollow impact of 808 toms and handclaps that most frequently recurs as a motif amongst the 14 tracks here, particularly amongst the brooding, bass-heavy hip-hop / electro and smoothly traded verses of “Eu To Aberta’ and “Melo Do Carrao’ slide down into glittering Kraftwerk-meets-Bambaataa streamlined electro pop. It’s towards the second half of the tracklisting here though that the pace begins to shift down somewhat, with the icily downbeat “Men In Uniform’ offering the sort of languid glide through clicking metronomic drum machines and John Foxx-esque synths you’d expect from Ladytron, before “What A Gift To Give’ takes things into a smeared-out New Wave pop / electro-house trajectory that’s likely to go down nicely with fans of the likes of the Presets and Cut Copy. As an added bonus track, you also get CSS’ remix of “I Go To The Doctor’ – obvious acolytes of Tetine’ sound, if ever there were. Not bad at all.
