Technophobia - Flicker Out

If you're a fan of old school Front 242 and other EBM legends I do think you'll find a soft spot for the relatively new and up and coming dark electronic act Technophobia. I'll skip the history lesson on this duo as this recent INTERVIEW I conducted with the both of them will cover all that for you and you won't have to read through more of my sentences. That being said I got a hold of their latest LP Flicker Out and I'll say that they have a way with making music. 

Stephen is an absolutely God when it comes to tweaking his analog synthesizers and vintage electronics. I feel like he spent a good amount of time making sure that his old school style of making music was well enough that it could shine through with the modern age. With the trickling flow of electronic beats on 'Shame', to the echoing percussion that's used ever so well on most of the songs, Stephen really bled his heart out to make this album stellar. 

I think the song that stands out the most instrumentally would be 'Siroccos'. Picture the Alien soundtrack meeting another brilliant score from horror mastermind John Carpenter and I think you'll have a relatively good idea as to how this song sounds. It is bloody brilliant and, given the chance, Technophobia should be hired to score a retro/throwback horror film in the near future. 

I'm not done yet, however, as I still need to praise Katherine's absolutely lovely vocals. You would think that softer vocals wouldn't really fit well with music that's usually paired next to growling or angry chords. Somehow, Katherine is able to make it work. It is probably the work of both minds fusing together as one, but nonetheless it works. 

The final song 'One Hundred Years' takes the cake when it comes to Katherine's voice. I really liked the gothic tone in the song and the backing synth reminded me of a church organ. The opening line, 'It doesn't matter if we all die,' sets both the mood and the narrative of the song and I adored it all. 

So, yes, this Washington DC based outfit has a very, very powerful sound to themselves. Katherine and Stephen use analog synthesizers and what I would consider a bit of black magic to their full potential on Flicker Out. I almost want to say this album brings to me thoughts of Halloween with some of its 80s inspired retro scores. And that just boosts it higher in my opinion. Eight out of ten. Solid.