vital weekly review: heat

hunter complex - heat frontSometimes I worry that time goes by so quick. It’s been really three years since I reviewed the eponymous CD by Hunter Complex, also known as the solo project of Lars Meijer, whom I know as the friendly boss of Narrominded, and as a boss not narrow minded at all. Three years. God. I enjoyed that CD, even have it on my ipod, I think, and here’s a new LP. In an edition of 200 copies only, 100 on black vinyl and 100 on transparent vinyl. It’s crisis everywhere, I was thinking, as this should, technically, be an album that one could sell pretty well. Hunter Complex plays electronic music with a strong pop edge. And I say that because I don’t want to write: Hunter Complex plays electronic pop music. Meijer uses a bit of vocals, occasionally and moved to the background of the piece, but it’s the instrumental music that is important and hence, perhaps, as such less ‘pop music’. If anything, Hunter Complex looks for the early 80s to find it’s sources for inspiration. Italo, Morodor, elektro, Simple Minds. Erm, Simple Minds? Apparently some keyboard lines are straight of Sons and Fascination, which I missed I guess, even when the Simple Minds are on of my favorite all-time bands – from all periods actually. The front cover also read like a catalogue of 80s apparatus: Linn Electronics, TR 707, TR 505, PPG Wave, Yamaha DX 7. That gives this record a certain aura of being dated, and that’s perhaps exactly what I like about it. That whole 80s feel is what makes this record strong, not necessarily each track, but the total sum of music, instruments used, video stills used on the cover and perhaps even Meijer’s singing. Not particular strong, but such was the way back then. A very pleasant record, highly entertaining. Great value!

FdW

original article

bleep review: heat

hunter complex - heat frontLars Meijer’s 2010 debut for Dutch indie label Narrominded showcased a new brand of synthpop, where radio-ready melodies are incorporated into cutting edge production. This sophomore album shows him even more comfortable with that format, dropping John Carpenter influenced keyboard noir (Serious Glass), analogue slabs with goth poetry lyrics (China Rain) and goose-bump guaranteeing synth arpeggios (Daylight).

original article

kicking the habit review: heat

hunter complex - heat frontHet Nederlandse Narrominded heeft weer heel wat moois op de planning staan de komende tijd, te beginnen met een nieuwe plak vinyl met retrofuturistische synthpop van het Haarlemse Hunter Complex. Heat heet de plaat, opvolger van het zelfgetiteld debuut uit 2010. En wij hebben de eer om het titelnummer en opener van de plaat te mogen premièren. Waarom? Omdat we meteen verslaafd zijn aan de meditatieve synthscapes met galmende zang en nerveuze beats op Heat.

Knap is ook hoe de onderkoelde elektronica en synths nog eens effectief extra vaart krijgen vanaf 1:20 en hypnotiserend op je inwerken. Heat staat vol van zulke filmische, mysterieuze spacepop met licht onheilspellende ondertoon waar je naar blijft terugkeren. De cover van de plaat past wat dat betreft perfect: al snel vraag je je af wat er in hemelsnaam aan de hand is met die schijnbaar gestrande auto in dat ruige, verlaten landschap van de normaal zo weidse woestijn.

Heat verschijnt op 30 augustus via Narrominded als gelimiteerde LP van 200 stuks met 100 exemplaren op transparant oranje vinyl en 100 exemplaren op zwart vinyl. Op diezelfde avond wordt de plaat gepresenteerd (samen met die van Rooie Waas) in De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam. Narrominded heeft nog veel meer moois op de planning voor de komende maanden, houdt het label dus vooral goed in gaten.

Barry

album: heat (lp / digital)

hunter complex - heat front

release date: september 6 2013
format: lp / digital
label: narrominded

info

Heat is the new LP from Holland’s Hunter Complex, a record that looks to balance a functional (and very Dutch) ‘utility pop’ with a whole host of disturbing hints and suggestions. It’s a slightly unnerving listen, despite its attractive and powerful sweeps of melody. Recorded between 2010 and 2012, Heat manages – often very successfully – to persuade the listener that they’re tuning into a strange mix of Moroder’s film scores and ‘81-‘82 era Simple Minds. Digital synths, like the Roland D-50 and Yamaha DX7, give everything a suitably ‘period feel’. And the keys on Space are straight off Sons and Fascination, for example. Severed Heads covering China Crisis? Chris and Cosey making symphonic advert music in downtown LA? We can but dream.

But enough comparisons. Despite the LP wearing its sources of inspiration on its sleeve, and despite the fact that our descriptive narratives have (inevitably) to follow suit, it’s a seductive listen. Queasy, paranoid synth washes, rich, gloopy bass tones and weighty electronic stabs of rhythm drive the music on. The record’s got a feel of Stalker about it; cinematic, a taste of future-past served up on a plastic plate. Joep van Lieshout’s vision for communal living maybe, or a future that’s just out of reach, probably because it never escaped being imaginary.

Continue reading album: heat (lp / digital)