What better way to bolster yourself against those physical chills than with some audio fire. Clear Memory, a collective from the East German city, return with four tracks guaranteed to heat up any sound system.
The Summer sun has all but faded and a cold wind returns to the historic streets of Leipzig. What better way to bolster yourself against those physical chills than with some audio fire. Clear Memory, a collective from the East German city, return with four tracks guaranteed to heat up any sound system.
Setting out his stall from the needle drop, Possblthings’ artist Milium is up first. A hybrid of EBM and electro, “The Gifted Man” is a dark heavy hitter. Vocals ghost in this industrially charged battering ram, lurking behind rasping rhythms and clanking drums. Westlake & Hayter follow with the formidably charged “Deansgate Mob.” Ice clad chords are lanced with steel rods of percussion before indecipherable lyrics sear the piece with a blistering burn of pain. Robyrt Hecht takes over on the flip and brings some cheer to the proceedings. A frigid 8-bit machine melody is kept in check by a snapping snare as vocoder lyrics lend a video-game motif to the work. Closing is “Varum.” The Pulse Drift artist leaves behind the rawer tones of his Shadow Copy EP, instead adopting Hecht’s line. Chiptune style chords bleep out a cheerful tune, clean beats keeping time in this deceptively complex close.
I had the pleasure of catching up with a member of the Clear Memory crew, Robyrt Hecht, when I was in Leipzig over the Summer. Drinking in the warm sun he modestly described a town groaning with talent, a label with a huge amount of heart, and his own love of electronics. This passion shines through on this release, a passion given voice through dark shades mellowed by brighter tones.
Clear Memory 002 is available on Clear Memory.
