alarm!systemen
self-titled
Antibody
Belgian newcomer alarm!systemen’s debut LP has a range of sounds and approaches which often belies a lack of direction or aesthetic, but that’s definitely not the case here. At large, the ten tracks on offer draw from long histories of coldwave and dream pop, but eschew slavish adherence to lo-fi nostalgia for its own sake. The classic Slowdive-isms of “Goes Again” are offset by clean, if minimal modern programming, and later on album closer “Void” serves as a reminder of how that act and other shoegaze giants found new life lifting from ambient electronics at large. On the more direct side, “Kapot” juxtaposes bricked-out synthpop drum programming with excellently reverbed guitar, and the dead simple but wonderfully executed dream pop nod of “BURN” shows just how far some wistful melodies and airy production can take you when they’re done with a measure of taste and restraint. Written over the course of five years, it’s perhaps not surprising that there’s this much variety here, but alarm!systemen’s real forte is in pulling it all off well enough to refresh familiar styles and serve as an example of how younger acts drawn to these classic sounds can rework and rethink them in their own manner.
Zataar
First Crush
CRVSH
While based in France, the material released by producer Zataar draws from both her Morrocan and Belgian heritage. From the latter, you funky rhythmic electronics that hearken back to the New Beat era with a healthy dose of classic body music, where the former comes through in the melodies and instrumentation that reference North African folk music. Cuts like “Ali Sawtek” lean into the blend especially well, finding a swinging groove in the bass and drum programming, while Zataar’s vocals and the track’s melody are kept low and swirling in the mix, with big string stabs cutting through the thick reverb. As a contrast, “In the Lights You Call My Name” injects polyrhythmic complexity into the drum track, its belchy resonant bassline flowing beneath rich waves of plucks and pads. The cleverness in the arrangements really comes through on “Moments in Love”, which manages transitions between deep house styled rhythm programming and sections of Chaabi folk melodies, before combining them smoothly into a hypnotic whole. Far from a gimmick, it’s a fully realized approach that recognizes the commonality and contrasts inherent in blending multiple styles and genres, and then reconciles them handily.
