At times the record does seem to hold the listener aloof, as on Schadenfreunde and Ganz Ganz Ganz Genau which do have a little of Klaus Dinger’s glacial utopian spirit about them.
At times the record does seem to hold the listener aloof, as on Schadenfreunde and Ganz Ganz Ganz Genau which do have a little of Klaus Dinger’s glacial utopian spirit about them.
CARP Recordings
Consisting mostly of perky instrumentals with a shiny electronic coating, this is a strange but enjoyable pop record, one that at times sounds as if someone on an enormous dose of Ritalin had tried to pay homage to those early New Order b-sides like Mesh or Wire. Tinny and packed with appealing hooks and riffs, and very much like glitch electronica like the Music for Peoples EP, Pop Campaign nonetheless reveal a gauche, spiky and somewhat sarcastic side. At times the record does seem to hold the listener aloof, as on Schadenfreunde and Ganz Ganz Ganz Genau which do have a little of Klaus Dinger’s glacial utopian spirit about them.
There’s some very endearing music on here: the opener Pop Campaign Theme Tune is a sparkling number boasting a catchy if repetitive hook and a drum fill that was reserved for some of the worst records of the 1980s. No matter as it works on this because – like most other tracks here – there’s a tremendous sense of balance and a sure touch in navigating through all the competing blurts and squeaks. Now and again there’s a throbbing pulsating beat that could erupt into something else, you can hear this on Come Whine With Me or THHSAKK – a track which feels like Visage’s Fade to Grey at times, albeit a take made out of Mecano.
It’s not all short and sweet either; at 10 minutes, Kleine Keine is a long and pretty determined mid-tempo trance, which works due to the fact that it jumps around in key and pace now and again. It’s ambitious in that it manages to maintain a weak and shallow sound over such a long period of time. And like most of the record it’s that little bit reserved, and hints at a more sinister outlook underneath the glossy surface.
This is a good, quietly determined record, and one that gets under your skin.