Die Anstalt
self-titled
self-released
Berlin trio Die Anstalt work a wiry, spooky version of synthpunk that hits just right on their debut LP. Given their relatively recent formation in 2023, the self-titled album feels remarkably dialed-in, with rhythmically tight electronics, squalling tremelo’d guitars and livewire vocals. While the semi-anonymous band (the album cover simply labels each member’s portrait one through three) recalls ur-sources like KaS Product and DAF, their sound is too lively and vital to ever be taken as rote imitation.
Die Anstalt’s biggest musical marker, or at least the most instantly recognizable one is the use of twangy surf guitar drenched in reverb, equal parts Morricone and Dick Dale with a dash of Daniel Ash for seasoning. On cuts like opener “Alles Kariert” it plays as a camp offset to the song’s straightforward bass and drum programming at the outset, weaving around and above the electronics and portentous vocals. Alternately on “Der Mann” the band sends it through rusty spring reverb, for a dusty, blown out energy that contrasts the song’s sprint to the finish line pacing. It’s the kind of marker that could come off as gimmicky or repetitive, but the band have a strong grasp of how to deploy it, pulling it back so the synths can hit harder on “Kalter Schweiß” and omitting it entirely where appropriate, such as the proto-body music number “Die Anstalt”.
As with all acts who crib from the NDW playbook, these songs live and die by the vocals, another area where the band acquit themselves with ease. The lockstep delivery of “Kriegen” is impressive, jumping back and forth from forceful control to punk shouting as required, no mean feat considering the song’s spritely tempo. “Diesser Hass” on the other hand features a darkwave croon that suits the song’s portentous build, deadly serious and ominous with an appropriately grave register that is theatrical but not overwrought. It’s a style that requires the ability to sing off the cuff without sounding sloppy, and Die Anstalt pull that off with seeming ease.
Despite being little under a half an hour in length, Die Anstalt has a lot more going on than its most easily pegged sounds might suggest. The delicate balance artiness, rawness, speed and severity is perfect, and especially notable in an act of such recent vintage; Die Anstalt have veteran instincts and youthful energy in spades, a rare and intoxicating combination.
