CK 37
Inget Hat
Rudite Records
CK 37’s read on Swedish EBM is very much a case of “the call is coming from inside the house”; while not overly complex or self-referential, the more familiarity one has with the likes of Container 90, EkoBrottsMyndigheten, Spark!, and other Familientreffen veterans, the more one’s likely to get a kick out of their debut’s light-hearted romp through the sub-genre. Indeed, we’d guess that the anonymity of its three members (using the aliases S.A Dist, Ossi Oscillator, and Synth Pandan) is rooted more in not wanting anyone to suss out their connections to other projects than any stoic disassociation or mystery. Regardless of source, Inget Hat makes for a lively mix of beats, straightforward melodies, and self-deprecating fun.
CK 37 know how to execute the promise of much modern EBM from Sweden, augmenting straightforward rhythmic programming with slightly off-kilter flourishes: “Vaken” works in well timed percussive stabs and bass swoops, while “Svett” generates mood with some especially icy pads. But for each one of these more ‘traditional’ moves there’s a combo-breaker like the pogo-punk cover of “800°”, a bit of classic 1980’s nuclear war anxiety from Swedish punks Ebba Grön, or the tumbling chiptune of “8 Bitars Ren Extas”. Even when they double-down on the most familiar of EBM tropes, it’s with a wink and a nod: the clattering metal and pained yowls which adorn “Gymsadist” undercut the EBM myth of sculpting the perfect body for the realities of strains and hernias which befall most of us average schlubs in the gym.
That spirit of fun which crosses the language barrier (and which was a great calling card for the band as many of these tracks saw standalone release over the past year or so) runs through the entirety of Inget Hat. There’s the Kraftwerk rework of “Motorväg (Fan Fan Fan)”, putting a growling Swedish spin on “Autobahn”, and “Gammal är äldst” (“Old Is Oldest”), lamenting the realities of aging in underground music.
For all of the “muscle and hate” sturm und drang we often associate with old school EBM, there’s always been a thread of riotous, tongue in cheek fun to be found in the corners of the style, and Inget Hat is an accomplished reminder of that tradition. It might be a perplexing mix of signifiers and referents to those unfamiliar with the quirky read on the genre Sweden excels at, but for those who’ve spent years attuning themselves to that style, CK 37 delivers.
