ElektraGaaz’s Drops EP
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- March 6, 2021
ElektraGaaz’s new EP, which dropped on Feb 12, is a 100% instrumental effort. It also gives Fiona Apple, a run for her money, with one of the longest album titles in popular history. The Synaesthetic Picture Show: Now Showing Pt 1, is 6 songs of what could best be described as future-centric, and/or featured video game tracks. ElektraGaaz is a collaborative effort of many musicians, but the brainchild of Poppo Redband. Redband is said to be a mysterious, and reclusive figure, whose true identity is still the subject of much conjecture.
To say this record is an acquired taste, would be accurate. Of course, this is mostly due to being sans vocals, but there are of course many genres that don’t feature vocalizations of any sort. This is not Classical or Jazz music, though. This is cinematic electronica, that is designed to elicit images, as you listen. ElektraGaaz allow you to paint your own pictures, or better, visualize your own movies with the SPS.
“Dancin With The Queen Of Hearts,” has already emerged as something of a fan favorite. It has a sentimental and even somewhat romantic opening, but takes a few turns, along the way. There’s something inexplicably calming about this piece. It is quite possibly the most well written song on the album. It’s lush, and full sounding, as it evokes serene imagery, and you could even be persuaded to dance to it.
We then have “Celebrating The Singularity,” which sports some nice and fluid synth work. It doesn’t quite capture the emotional reciprocity, that “Dancin With The Queen Of Hearts,” does, but it’s lively in its own way. One of the most glaring discrepancies on the SPS, is the recycled bits of repetition that permeates across the album. This track is in violation of sameness, at select points. Overall though, it’s an upbeat piece, that just barely succeeds in not overstaying its welcome.
We then have the augmented fury of “Cabin Fever.” This one will make you feel like you’re playing a video game. There are some nicely layered hooks, slightly concealed within the rhythm. Then on “She Walks It Like Talks It,” we get a strutting, Tetris tinged, groove piece. The drums are nicely programmed on this track, and stand out more than they do, at other points.
ElektraGaaz will probably not be blowing up your local FM radio stations, anytime soon. They may, however, pop up in a random film, or video game. Their entire premise is something of a modern fable, and the mystery behind their purpose, may overshadow their music. The Synaesthetic Picture Show is a well enough produced record, that if nothing else, succeeds in being unique to its originator. We can only imagine, what, if anything, Pt 2 will bring us.
Nicole Killian
