DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP - Adactapreface |
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10 songs |
The Poshblokes are no more. After recruiting a second guitarist, they shortly renamed themselves Andy Action, considered too cartoonish by several band members, so that finally they settled on Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, the name of the famous novel by sci-fi visionary Philip K. Dick which (the novel, not the author) was transformed into the cult movie Blade Runner. So much for the literary background. When a band changes its name, you have to expect changes, and changes come aplenty here. Of course already the second Poshblokes album hinted at the new direction, but with the power of a dual guitar attack and some synth programming, they made a truly huge step into a more modern direction, miles away from their punk roots that only occasionally shine through on the shorter songs while especially the longer songs are proof of the Androids' love for experimental hardcore. After the unnecessary intro Necessary Illusions, Takeover (downloadable at the Winged Skull website) is already a first highlight, setting Marius' guitar sound next to Petz's. Obey Believer and Manufacturing Consent are two shorter, less experimental songs. One of the album's more important songs is Ignorance Is Bliss, which crystallises all the new influences into a cohesive 5 minute outburst of emotional hardcore. The following Touché Coulé is another perfect example of the band's acquired maturity when it comes to song writing. Wild and groovy at the same time. A short, well-meant but eventually failing spoken word piece introduces the equally short Frontiers Of Freedom, until the long Farewell ends the regular playing time with another quality song, this time spiced with percussive elements. A longish electronic piece follows, trailed by one minute of silence, until a hidden bonus track ends the CD for good. The impression that remains is that Adactapreface is not only a more than welcome debut by the Androids, but also a giant step forward since the guys' Poshblokes days. Yes, they are certainly not punk anymore, as some may complain, but their take on emo core, although reminding me at times strongly of dEFDUMp because of vocal parallels, is original enough to stand tall next to the myriads of local emo bands sprouting from the earth like mushrooms after a rainy day. This is also the first time they come with a production they can be actually proud of, with the album recorded in the KuFa. It's funny how so close at home you sometimes get better results than driving to Brussels where they did their first two albums. If this were to be sold as a regular album, it would be a little short with too many fillers, but as an EP, this is just perfect with more than 25 minutes of regular music. |