Demos

Subculture - Demo

Bill Cummings 00/00/0000

Rating: 3/5

London based electro-beat combo Subculture bill themselves as “Trash pop”, and certainly the ghosts of Kraftwerk's beats, Bowie's “Low” and the likes of the Human League and New Order haunt this second demo effort. Opener “Let's go out tonight” is like some kind of bastard hybrid Between the Pet shop boys musical stylings and the biting vocalisation of David Bowie. Next up is “Skyscrapers” that succeeds despite its melodic similarity To Mark Owen's last hit “Four minute Warning” - its sublime three minutes Sound like OMD fronted by Brett Anderson. This is big city electro-sleaze, with a tragic suburban heart. The “electro” sound is expertly executed here, all precise bleeps and beats, dancing with metallic guitars, this is all the things that Ladytron promised but never delivered. Last track “Blackmelt” is the sound of dark trashy Depeche Mode strutting the catwalk, with vocals which are incessant, bringing to mind the ghosts of punk, such as Lydon, and the post-punk style of Robert Smith.

A good demo and considering its DIY inception(it was produced in a bedroom)it there is much musical promise shown in these sleazy electro ditties, perhaps subculture could improve by varying their vocal style's a bit more, because when you consider the strengths of two good electro bands The Faint and Scarlet Soho its always the melodies and vocals that add that enjoyable human quality to the electro-clash sound.