AM444
– Dark Show EP (Kaiguan)
DL
Out
Now
China
based electronic duo release their new EP.
The
strange beast on the EP cover doesn’t stop there. This collection of five
tracks is a strange beast indeed.
Strange but brilliantly enthralling.
AM444
are ChaCha, a Chinese singer and MC, and Jay Soul a Dutch producer. Together they make haunting, sprawling,
experimental electronica which is completely fascinating.
The
story goes that ChaCha joined reggae collective Uprooted Sunshine in Shanghai
after her move from Beijing in the early part of this century. She soon expanded her repertoire and moved
into trip-hop and bass. Her collaborations
with several artists resulted in her being picked to represent China at
Madrid’s Red Bull Academy in 2011. At Shanghai
underground electronic music club Shelter, she teamed up with Jay who had moved
to China which he favoured over New York and Berlin.
The
pair now blend reggae with ambient and electronic pop to make a sound that is completely
unique. The title track, Dark Show is a
steaming pseudo sexual alternative pop affair and probably the most commercial
on the EP. Its slow moon-stomp is
accompanied by electronic waves and a repetitive loop before the beautiful
vocals of ChaCha enter. The chorus is
simple and cyclic but it sucks in the listener and just won’t let go. It’s hypnotic and entirely fabulous.
Huo
is minimalist too, but in an almost complex way. Its sounds and effects weave and swirl around
in a poignantly haunting way and the occasional bass churn works
brilliantly. There’s a more 80s
krautpop feel to Lian which again follows a dark theme and gyrates like a
circus trapeze artist in slo-mo.
Not
What It Seems is again slightly more accessible and has the makings of a rather
unorthodox club track with its more conventional drum pattern and
melodies. The EP ends with the Forrane
Mix of the title track, another weird reprise and a mix which differs
tremendously from the earlier version with an almost jazz feel.
It’s
all very clever and is a delight to the ears.
8.5/10
Links
Kaiguan Records
AM444 website
AM444 on Twitter
AM444 on Facebook
Published on Louder Than War 23/05/15 - here
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