Nylon Union: Defragment Us
Vinyl | CD | DL
Launched: 10 April
Nylon Union return with their fifth album. Defragment Us seems at disparate themes in a fragmented world and tries to make sense of all of it.
On their newest album Nylon Union’s songwriter, Slovakia-based Richard Imrich, has teamed up with experimental poet Peter Šulej, with whom he co-wrote the lyrics of all of the songs on Defragment Us bar two. It’s Nylon Union’s fifth album since they debuted in 2001. We favourably reviewed their final album Phrases and Waves right here.
Concerning the title of this new work, and his collaboration with Peter Šulej, Imrich states: “We began off writing new songs with Peter throughout recording the earlier album Phrases And Waves, whereas Erik (Horák) was busy with manufacturing duties. As soon as we had virtually all new songs prepared for recording, I requested Peter how we’re going to cross-bridge these various themes spanning from local weather change-induced misery to a child boomer with fading recollections of his hippy youth. He replayed: ‘I dunno, we have to defragment us like an previous exhausting drive first.’”
The songs do cowl various matters, however the overriding theme is one among dislocation and the determined feeling all of us have when attempting to succeed in out to one another in a world that’s changing into extra excessive, extra polarised. Defragment Us is a denser, psychedelic, and extra chilly wave sound than its predecessor, with at instances an unemotional 80s sound. Lyrically it’s very attention-grabbing with clever (it’s not typically lyrics are supplied with reference notes) and intriguing visons, but additionally laced with humour and quirkiness.
Album opener Solastalgia, a music about air pollution, is an upbeat begin to the album which has scratchy, offbeat guitar, a cool driving bassline and hovering synths over a giant drum sound, making a psychedelic really feel with its many textures. There’s a related massive 80s drum sound on I Wanna Know Why, however right here the music is extra dreamlike, restrained, with a Beatles edge to it, creating a sense that you’re flying over the world in a drug induced state, attempting to make sense of every thing. How will we dwell in a world that we don’t comprehend? There are hints of Tears For Fears. There’s a related 80s really feel to Off The Plot, however right here it’s an digital dance beat to fill the flashing nightclubs.
On Phone Track, the digital sounds are allied with a chilly, scientific beat. The vocals are like phrases coming down the road, attempting to make a connection, hoping for a name. And on A Poor Boomer, with its massive guitar chord opening and crazed horns, we discover an previous burnt out hippy eager for a previous that now not exists, He’s out of time and place. As on Dive By which begins softly, then builds in swirling depth, the place an aged man with hair greying just like the rust of the pool ladder, feels time slipping like water by way of his fingers.
Giving Up Time has a funkier beat, with the drum rim hits making a sound like creeping foliage in a spooky forest, making a moody environment. Vocally it jogs my memory of Paul Simon. Peters and Marks has a giant rave drum sound and swirling guitars, while Les Grandes Différences has a rocking 50s beat which tells us that nothing we do actually makes a lot distinction and we have to simplify our lives.
White Room has a heavy sound and has a freaky, unsettling really feel to it. What’s the white room? Album nearer Saint-Tropez lightens the temper with its enjoyable, groovy seashore sound.
There may be a lot to admire on this newest launch. Musically it is rather dense and attention-grabbing with numerous textures, tempo adjustments and layers of sounds, while lyrically it’s difficult with out ever subsuming the melody to cleverness. It rewards with every new pay attention
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You will discover Nylon Union on Fb, Instagram, Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp.
All phrases by Mark Ray. Extra writing by Mark Ray might be discovered at his writer archive. And he might be discovered on Instagram.
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