REVIEWS

Conetik
Carbon Elektriq V2.0

Infacted Recordings

Posted: Thursday, March 30, 2006
By: Carl Jenkinson

After being impressed by this Norwegian synthpop duo’s preceding single “Dead End,” I was looking forward to hearing their debut album; I’m glad to report that it doesn’t disappoint. As the title suggests, this is the second version to see the light of day, the first being a smaller scale release on Tatra Records, if memory serves.

Conetik’s brand of synthpop sensibly incorporates a wider variety of modern musical influences under its umbrella; the house effects that grace the commercial and danceable duo of “I Got Away” and “Superfluous,” as well as the light drum & bass rhythms that work in unison with some effective synth riffs on “Turmoil,” are prime examples of this, proving that sometimes synthpop and dance are not far apart. Furthermore, the small but effective little touches and effects that crop up as the album progresses add a few inventive touches here and there, which is important for any new band.

The opening tracks actually feel quite understated in that none of the tracks really jump out at you (with the possible exception of the cover of The Pet Shop Boys’ “Heart,” and that doesn’t count). It actually takes a few listens to get into, but by the second or third go tracks such as the opening duo of “Elektronova” and the more solid “Nothing Is” feel like old favorites. As does the solidly rhythmic “Believe Me,” although that’s mainly down to the lead line being a dead ringer for U2’s “New Years Day,” so much so that I at first wondered if it was a cover.

It does however provide a timely reminder as to why “Dead End” was such a good choice for a single as it sums up all that is good about Conetik, both musically and vocally. Stain’s vocals are easily able to emphasize whatever mood the music is setting, be it the majesty of “Angel,” the initially emotive feel of “Lovesong 1” (although once the rhythms are introduced, this appealing mood is totally lost), or the initially somber mood of “Straight and Narrow.” Again, the introduction of the rhythms brings a change, but thanks to the nice full sound it all works far better here, adding to the feel rather than detracting from it.

To sum up, if the prospect of a punchier version of Wolfsheim appeals to you and/or you’re into Mesh, Iris, and the like, then you should find this pretty appealing too.