Walls is quite a surprise, what relates initially as shimmering haze of guitar fuzz, gangling dysmorphic sludge is an unlikely addition to the body of work that is Kompakt. Such a sledge is as absented from a true conveyance of the work as is Micheal Mayer’ description of them as “drugged out rodentsâ€. Beyond the seeming decadent sound conveyance is hewn noise scapes with a fairly down with it bass, just f@#ked up enough to fit the ambience. But it is well slung. Then there are the electro simplicity, all stabs, shakes and jangles, playful and programmed as an opening gambit in the field. Oh yes these guys must be young, it is quite homage music in one sense, between Sonic Youth and Mobius at times and then…
“Burnt Sienna “opens the album and it is really the description given above, perhaps it’s the opus of the album, or just the drawcard that scored them the contract. “A Virus waits’ is quite clearly a deconstruction, or an attempt at glitched out experimental that has gone slightly astray and doesn’ quite find the manipulation of sound textures, just the breaking of elements. “Cyclopean remains’ demonstrates that they are an excellent live act that have the capacity to builds and enthrall an audience with their discrete gestures and tension effects. “Soft Cover People’ has all the sound criteria for an English indie rock anthem hiding in the wings, although Walls never quite pull the punch that could take the listener to this territory. After all it is perhaps to early in the day to deliver to your audience, leave them unsatiated for at least another album while you lay on the long buildup. “Strawberry Sect’s is just cleaver, well hewn sound manipulation that doesn’ go anywhere except to tweak the ear a bit. Then “Gabardine’, a more straight up aim at electro dance, a bit simple, with only a smudge of the darkwave feeling and a bit of a naff sample.
The album finishes with “Austerlitz Wide open’ which is a slightly ominous take on an ambient sound scape. It is certainly effective as a bookend to the album. Kompakt definitely know what they are doing here, rounding up a party band, young and full of promise with an excellent take on the music of their heroes. They are polished enough to be credible and rough enough to develop with an ambition that is other than understated.
Innerversitysound
