Spotlighting new releases from New Brunswick artists. This week we look at new music from Dr. Thunder & The Electromagnetic Funk, Tortue and Stasi.
Matt Carter
Dr. Thunder & The Electromagnetic Funk – Level Up
As a general rule, when I see an outfit using the word funk in their name, I steer clear. But seeing as this is a local release I gave it a listen and was pleased to discover the absence of funk or any attempt at being funky (two things I greatly appreciated). But don’t let the grandeur of the artist’s name fool you. Based on the sounds of this five-track EP, Dr. Thunder and Co is most likely one person with a synth and a laptop, still feeling out the capability of their gear and what they want to do with their music. The tracks are a little thin in terms of composition and direction – not a lot of development happening. That said, track two and four did warrant a second listen.
Tortue – Slither
Tortue occupy a special place. Their ability to take some of the oddest song structures and shape them into something catchy and genuinely interesting to listen to is really what sets them aside from the pack. Tortue is a fun band and this EP is a great example. Musicianship and vocals in full effect. Upon first listen it’s obvious something powerful is happening here, but it might take listen two or listen three before the inner workings of this two-track EP are revealed. Whether it’s the progressive influence of guitarist Adrian Bullock, the complex rhythms of bassist Connor MacAulay and drummer Jamie Comeau or the simple way they roll through starts and stops and subtle changes in tone and melody as these tracks roll along – whatever the case may be, Slither is definitely worth your time. It’s great to hear new music from this band.
Stasi – Stasi
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? I guess that doesn’t really matter. Music is the universal language after all, or so I’ve been told. Take this release for instance. The band is called Stasi. The album is called Stasi. And all the song titles are in German. Does that matter at all? Not much. Is it a clever nod to an epicenter of electronic music? Perhaps. Is this a good album worth listening to? Yes. Yes it is. There’s enough variety happening in terms of sound and texture to give this release a place of its own among the many electronic music releases to surface each year. It’s not all dance vibes, nor is it a challenging listen. Stasi succeeds in finding balance within a genre that can quickly move from melody to pure noise.
If you have new music on the way and would like to be considered for a future edition of Midweek Music Mix, send us the details at gridcitymagazine(at)gmail.com
