Electronic music isn’t always high energy.
2012, MUSEBOX RECORDS
5.8 / 10.0
House of Blondes, the electronic duo of John Blonde and Chris Pace, prefer their electronic music to be a little softer, slowly plodding along like the soundtrack to a David Fincher movie without being as dark as Trent Reznor. Clean Cuts‘ songs were recorded all in first or second takes with the duo improvising on the spot. I would expect improvisation to lead to bouncier moments in the songs, but House of Blondes maintain their chill, laid back style throughout Clean Cuts. Thankfully, John Blonde adds vocals to several of the songs, which livens up what could otherwise be monotonous white noise.
Opening track, “Shadows”, brings to mind Matthew Dear with its nighttime driving groove, and Blonde’s semi-falsetto, effects-laden voice. While that song stands out as one of Clean Cuts‘ better tracks, the duo have said that most of the album was influenced by their recording of “Anhedonia” (track 4), originally running at twenty minutes (mercifully cut down to just over four). However, I wouldn’t exactly call “Anhedonia” an album stunner, especially when songs like “Do It Yourself (Landscape)” and “Slow Motion” point at the duo’s potential for future releases. Fans of ambient techno may want to visit the House of Blondes, but those looking for more adventure and high energy will probably want to check out other parts of the neighborhood.
Purchase: House of Blondes – Clean Cuts
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