Simesky+Fritch are creating quite the wave with their new wave. A retro feel with some amazing symphonic treatment, their approach is unlike any other duo. What makes it stranger is that one stays in Belgium and the other in Wales. What they create in the remote microwaves remains in those deliberate, beautiful frequencies. Some things are beyond our understanding. This is their album, SKALA.02.
The envelope opens with Back and Down Again. It is an incredible showcase of vocal prowess, making a shining, tantalising return to the sound they create so well. Slowly disseminating the sound, they move to White Lies. The synth effects hit like warm tidal waves. The bass line is the guideline that gives you a sense of some kind of percussion. Echoing, odd time drum beats create the required texture for the melancholia. The soft piano additions are a perfect addition for the mood that the song has.
A Depeche Mode like soul is found in Such Imperfection. However, it is a groovy, funky riff that Simesky+Fritch create with this song. It creates the necessary contrast from songs like White Lies, admittedly the kind of ebb and flow an album of this pedigree needs. The party is continued with Delicate Intricacies. Simesky+Fritch know how to maintain the retro aura around their music-in details like their vocal filter and layering. The instrumentals are a distinct round of slowly building tales, creating the whirlpool of energy that you’ll be listening to in a daze. ‘Til We See You and Then experiments with some different sonic textures. The hi-hat and minimal chord progression has a very dramatic, monologue like effect. It has some of the most delicate harmonics that the duo have created, especially the wailing effect that adds to the morose wave the song creates. New wave has a couple of new saviours, and Simesky+Fritch are leading the charge.
Colour Running Away recreates that 80s synthwave sound that had become a regular in soundtracks. The surety is in creating the groove without percussions, the synths developing a mandala like pattern in effortless fashion. The truism is in knowing the tailored, lyrically rich delivery that the duo gives is the bonus. With the ProjectP remix closing out the album, Simesky+Fritch show us that New Wave makes a comeback, and we’re all in for a treat. You can listen to their spectacular, colourful album here:
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