Amateur Radio

Pas Musique

Alrealon Records, 2021

http://www.pasmusique.net

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/01/2021

The Brooklyn, New York outfit Pas Musique, which is spearheaded by Robert L. Pepper, returns with six mostly instrumental pieces where electronic sounds collide with krautrock ideas, and there's no shortage of melody finding its way into the unpredictable textures.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

“Charlies Lament” starts the listen, and it buzzes densely with hypnotic rhythm amid rich tones and a charming repetition that makes an indelible impression. “Don Cheadle Superhero” then follows, and is equally creative, where an initially more bare presence floats around synth melodies that you can't help but enamored with.

The middle tracks offer “It's A Rainy Day Sunshine Girl” and “Ancient Scottish Legend.” The former is Pas Musique's take on a 1972 tune by Faust, and welcomes Jeanne-Marie Varain, as well timed vocals appear alongside '80s post-punk nods. The latter is the most firm track present, and meshes psychedelic, industrial, and dissonance into a futuristic yet tribal climate that's about as hard-hitting as the band gets here.

Making our way to the end of the record, “That's What They Said” trims the volume back with a very tuneful, even soothing landscape. The pop undertones won't be difficult to spot, and the warm energy helps make it the album's best tune. “Elderly Women On Black” finishes the listen, and it recruits a darker appeal that comes with some tension and fascinating interplay between the guitar and electronics.

An extremely diverse body of work that explores gothic, techno, punk, and dance sensibilities in Pepper's iconoclastic vision, it's pretty safe to say that no one is making music quite like Pas Musique these days. Pepper welcomes Jon V Worthley, Michael Durek, and Jesse Fairbairn to the occasion, and it makes for another endeavor avant-garde adventure that you can play endlessly and never tire of.

Rating: A

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