Artist: The Sick Man Of Europe
Album: The Sick Man Of Europe
Label: The Leaf Label
Link: https://thesickmanofeurope.net/
Style: Pop-Rock, Electronic
Apart from a few videos of live performances, where we see that the trio performs without a drummer, there is little information about The Sick Man Of Europe. This stance is fully embraced by the band members, allowing the music to speak for itself. When asked which musicians inspire them to write their songs, they tend to mention the state of the world, the tensions shaking societies, and technology creeping into human relationships without being truly understood. It’s quite a program, which ultimately results in music with many references.
The first notes take us straight back to the turn of the 70s and 80s, when the nihilistic momentum of punk was slowly transforming into a dark new wave under the weight of a brutal society. Other influences can be felt, such as minimalism and Krautrock from the same period. The dark atmospheres and the singer’s deep, gravelly voice are reminiscent of Bauhaus or Joy Division (see the recently released Closer), and they even manage to create an even darker and more tense sound, which is no mean feat.
In keeping with the standards of the genre, the bass is prominent on many tracks, often playing an important role in both the rhythms and melodies, accompanied in this area by the guitar. The rest of the rhythm section is shared between drums and drum machines or synthesizers, with a presence of strange machine-generated rhythms that really evoke the spirit of early New Wave albums. The production, marked by a coldness that is as sought-after as it is achieved, manages to hold these artificial components together with the more traditional instruments in a coherent way.