Since 2007 AVANT! Records has been releasing an assortment of cold wave, synth inspiration and beleaguered punk. Artists and groups like Cult of Youth and Scorpion Violente have been represented on this burgeoning imprint. As the clouds gather AVANT! return with two full length albums from Dream Affair and King Dude.
Dream Affair aka Hayden Payne, was part of Void Vision who released a serious piece of synth pop on Blind Prophet Records. Now, as a solo being, Dream Affair releases his début album Endless Days. If you were after a carbon copy of Void Vision you’re plodding down the wrong path, with Endless Days being much more rooted in the indie tradition. The record opens with the title track. A wave of retro fitted indie synth pours forth in this catchy piece of 80s nostalgia. Something of Wierd’s Automelodi in here, but with more of a slant towards Robert Smith. Post punk influences permeate the album, such as the guitar rich “Silent Story” and “Drifting.” Synths are present, but in a backing role. “Lucid” sees analogue chords gather, but the strings are never distant. Female vocals intertwine with synth and string to produce a powerful piece. There is an overarching darkness on the record; the tracks dripping with an unmistakable sorrow. “Until the Fall” is typical of the indie tradition, a light and strummy piece of guitar pop. The LP closes with broody indie wave tones of “Day of the Night.”
If Dream Affair are exploring the shadows, King Dude is plumbing the darker depths. Tonight’s Special Death sees distant coldness collect in a guitar. An alienated folk is King Dude’s sound, bitter vocals vinegared by lonesome strings. “Witch’s Hammer” is a simple and wonderfully vacant piece, with “River of Gold” having a much more uplifting countenance. The tracks have a wholesome purity to them, one which amplifies the inherent sadness of King Dude. “White Hands” blends despondent lost sounds with an innocence, these two disparate positions explored across the LP. “No One is Here” sees King Dude distance lyricist and musician even further, vocals being lightly distorted to create a palpable exile. The album finishes as it began, and as it ran, with acoustics being at the core. The vocals are neither distressed nor are they in search of sympathy, they probe a dejected acceptance.
AVANT! is a label that comes from a variety of traditions. 4AD is here, as are the influences of Factory Records and Industrial. The synth wave resurrection is involved, probably a result of both the past and the present. AVANT!’s artists seem to follow a divergent musical paths. Dream Affair mirrors the likes of The Cure or Depeche Mode. King Dude comes from a folk world, his sound immersed in an American Mid-West angst. Both records pour fourth with emotion; one with a modern twist, the other with an historic eye.
Both releases are available on AVANT!.
