Pro-oxidant reveals itself to be a stunningly cinematic piece using a full spectrum of sounds from both the electronic and acoustic worlds.
Epic in scope and exquisitely detailed
The latest release on Mighty Force is Pro-Oxidant by the Long Range Desert Group, and true to the imprint’s aesthetic. This one is a little bit different from a lot of the stuff going around at the moment. The band have been on the go for quite some time and their founder Tim Brown, has previously been in bands with Mighty Force head honcho, Mark Darby. In the press release we are told that Pro-Oxidant is about entropy, decay and the ability to embrace it, not recoil from it, and from this abstract theme the album reveals itself to be a stunningly cinematic piece using a full spectrum of sounds from both the electronic and acoustic worlds.
In essence, it feels like a soundtrack to a movie yet to be made. It has a post-apocalyptic vibe that is sometimes menacing, but mostly hypnotic and engaging in a darkly science fiction fashion. There’s a definite 80s vibe to the music, reminiscent of some darker pop instrumental B-sides from that era. The cyberpunk aesthetic is strong in “Meicrodon” and it’s a track that would work great in a movie, game or the dancefloor. It’s a real mover with a sublime arrangement.
It’s a hard album to categorize. I know a lot of 80s style retro material at the moment gets labelled synthwave, however, I would fall well short of calling it that. For starters, despite the 80s vibe, it’s a very modern sounding album, very dynamic and brilliantly mastered. So even though it’s reminiscent of the 80s, it doesn’t have that 80s ‘sound’ that you’re hearing a lot right now. Basically, it’s not yet another album based on 80s styles or TV shows. I would personally call it instrumental cinematic post-punk electro—if that was a genre. As I said, it’s hard to define and this is what makes it such a great album to listen to. It has energy by the bucketload and then some to spare. There’s also a killer groove throughout the entire album and some well placed samples that adds to the overall mystique and the vibrantly cinematic essence.
Epic in scope and exquisitely detailed. This is an album you’ll play often.
Pro-oxidant is available on Mighty Force. [Bandcamp]
