You always have to give a lot credit to a band that can release new material while on an extensive tour. Having spent 2007 hop-scotching the world playing festivals and headlining small tours, 65daysofstatic managed to squeeze in some studio time to record an EP before they embarked again in 2008 for more European dates, as well as a supporting spot on the Cure’s U.S. tour. The Distant and Mechanized Glow of European Dance Parties EP comes as a follow up to their very successful 2007 release of The Destruction of Small Ideas and offers up two contrasting versions of the same song followed by two new tracks.
The title of this EP is probably the most applicable album name I have heard in some time now. After the first listen, that is exactly the mental picture I got, a vast dance interwoven in old industrial Europe’s architecture. The two versions of “Dance Party” that were recorded only seemed to share the common name of the original track on the previous album. They feel more like separate entities almost to the point of being new tracks, not re-mixes.
The last two tracks listened to back-to-back play like the soundtrack to a slasher movie. “Goodbye 2007” plays as the intro building to a climax. The opening notes even resemble the “Halloween” theme. The low tones and fast tearing beats are intertwined with slow suspenseful breaks as you wait for the quick pace to resume. The action rolls right into the last track, “Antique Hyper Mall”. With no song break and a similar theme, it feels like one long song with the bittersweet ending that always leads to a sequel.
The EP is a slightly new direction for the instrumental post-rock band who is used to a more guitar driven sound, but also offers up a welcome introduction into a new possible direction for the band. Its good to hear a band can make a slight deviation and still create quality music.
Check Out:
“Goodbye 2007”
