Following Here Is the Night a taster CD single with various remixes, here is the full length by Hunter Complex, also known as Lars Meijer, also known as the boss behind Narrominded Records. That was a mighty fine taster indeed, and it made me very curious about the full length. A spoiler then: it’s great, perhaps exactly what I hoped for. Synthpop, electropop. I made the connection to the releases on Suction Records, yet Hunter Complex takes matters a bit further. Vocals play an important role in this music. Those vocals reminded me a band from the 80s, early 90s who made similar electronic popmusic, Tranquil Eyes (I am sure not many people remember them). Uptempo pieces that are sweet, funny, poppy but also a bit dark. Think Depeche Mode in their early 80s work, Soft Cell, OMD, even New Order (a particular favorite here), Human League and lots of more obscure electro bands, like the aforementioned Tranquil Eyes. This is an excellent release – very retro in approach, but this is the kind of music which never seems to age. It still sounds as fresh as it was then. But then, perhaps I am not the right person to ask for a subjective view on matters like this: I have always been a sucker for great synth pop. It’s of course a fine line between all things pop, and perhaps all things unVital. Hunter Complex may not be real Vital material, but loved out of personal taste for such music.

Frans de Waard

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Lars Meijer is the active man behind the Narrominded label, but also as a musician with Living Ornaments and Psychon. He also recorded solo music, which I didn’t know, as Hunter Complex. Early 2010 he will release his debut album Hunter Complex and stir up interest he now releases a CDEP Here Is The Night, along with remixes by Garcon Taupe, Spoelstra, Coen Oscar Polack and an extended instrumental piece. He started doing his solo music a long time, behind a piano and recording them onto a four track, until he reached the limitations of those methods. Now he sings again, uses analogue synthesizers and no doubt uses the computer to record it on. Its no longer Larz (as such he recorded two lo-fi pop albums) but Hunter Complex. His piece here is an uptempo electro piece, with influences of italo music and electro-pop. It could as well have been on any ‘Snow Robots’ compilations from Suction Records (whatever happened there, I wonder?). A great piece. In the three remixes, each of the remixer takes one or two sounds that they like and expand on that. Distinctly more ‘dance’ oriented tracks at work here, with a stomping version by Spoelstra. Polack’s version is the morning after chill out remix. Meijer’s own Fashion Street is a laidback jazzy tune with a leading part for saxophone, and may seem a bit out of place but it made me altogether very anxious to hear his album. His two pieces are different from eachother, but could make a great album.

Frans de Waard

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