Relative Kalte are different to most modern synth wave outfits. Their sounds are not retrofitted or glassy eyed vintage, instead they are clean-cut contemporary. A synth drenched sound shot through with some melancholy for an absorbing debut album.
[Releases page] A handful of 7”s were glued to my turntable last year. One of them was by a German outfit Relative Kalte. Now the group are returning to their mother label of Plastic Frog, this time with a full length album for the starved synth pop zealot to get their teeth into.
Scaling synths, warbling Atari sounds, split beats and disenfranchised vocals. This is the realm of Relative Kalte. The group are electro pop but come from a Punk slant. “Flughafen” rips and rumbles whilst “Tanz Mit Mir” is softened and tearful. The group take elements of shoegaze and electrify it, coursing energy and arpeggitors throughout. “Isolation” opens the taps and drowns in synth energy before “Spüre dein Herz” reduces speed for a minimized piece of dissociation. Synth pop sits next downtrodden wave, with driving bass and beats penetrating the entirety. “Tommyknockers” is a much more melancholic affair, rumbling synthesizer sounds anchored with anguish. “Totholz “ raises the tempo, boiling and bubbling under pressured EBM pistons.
Relative Kalte are different to most modern synth wave outfits. Their sounds are not retrofitted or glassy eyed vintage, instead they are clean-cut contemporary. Angular haircuts and darkened eyes coupled with an element of clash. A synth drenched sound shot through with some melancholy for an absorbing debut album.
Zerstört is available on Plastic Frog. [Releases page]
