PRIMAL STATIC
Comprised of songwriter/beat creator/singer/guitarist G.T. and HouFei on bass and keys, Primal Static are from Austin, Texas, and their music is said to be "a mix of hardcore Texas blues combined with an electronic undertone." Hmmm... a potentially interesting fusion. 'The Corrupting of the Revolution' is their latest EP, and if this is a representative showcase of their combined talents, then they're quite an original duo... albeit the music is not all top-notch, compositionally. Well, just one track, really, that falls short.
Opener, 'Velvet Crush', is a very likeable piece, but veers way more towards atmospheric, haunting, and hard-hitting electronica than "hardcore Texas blues", complete with G.T.'s raw, punked-up, ever so slightly dissonant vocals. However, the remaining three tracks deliver on said blend. And two of them deliver in the most engaging of ways. The exception is 'Soul Jacket', which is a tad subpar compared to the others - not inherently bad, by any means, but the vocals on this one are quite horrible.
So, yeah, the vocals. G.T.'s singing is perhaps a little too dissonant for the music at times. This is most noticeable on EP closer, 'Soul Jacket', where the discordant tones within his delivery, particularly when he seems to "sing" out of what must be his comfort zone and natural range, are not that pleasant and don't necessarily fit the music. The soothing tones of HouFei's occasional vocal contributions work well as a nice contrast, though. And G.T.'s vocals do work a lot of the time, elsewhere on the EP; I'd suggest they just need to be a little more refined as and when the music requires a less dissonant delivery.
All in all, Primal Static's combination of finely crafted electronica and Texas blues idioms is one that works very well indeed - emphatically so on 'Need You So Bad' and 'Blister Core'. And the opener, 'Velvet Crush', is a fine slice of dark electronica. But, man, those vocals on 'Soul Jacket'... not for me, I'm afraid. They'd have been better off with just a three track EP. A prime example of how to sink an otherwise decent song. Certainly no way to end an otherwise quite decent EP.
Opener, 'Velvet Crush', is a very likeable piece, but veers way more towards atmospheric, haunting, and hard-hitting electronica than "hardcore Texas blues", complete with G.T.'s raw, punked-up, ever so slightly dissonant vocals. However, the remaining three tracks deliver on said blend. And two of them deliver in the most engaging of ways. The exception is 'Soul Jacket', which is a tad subpar compared to the others - not inherently bad, by any means, but the vocals on this one are quite horrible.
So, yeah, the vocals. G.T.'s singing is perhaps a little too dissonant for the music at times. This is most noticeable on EP closer, 'Soul Jacket', where the discordant tones within his delivery, particularly when he seems to "sing" out of what must be his comfort zone and natural range, are not that pleasant and don't necessarily fit the music. The soothing tones of HouFei's occasional vocal contributions work well as a nice contrast, though. And G.T.'s vocals do work a lot of the time, elsewhere on the EP; I'd suggest they just need to be a little more refined as and when the music requires a less dissonant delivery.
All in all, Primal Static's combination of finely crafted electronica and Texas blues idioms is one that works very well indeed - emphatically so on 'Need You So Bad' and 'Blister Core'. And the opener, 'Velvet Crush', is a fine slice of dark electronica. But, man, those vocals on 'Soul Jacket'... not for me, I'm afraid. They'd have been better off with just a three track EP. A prime example of how to sink an otherwise decent song. Certainly no way to end an otherwise quite decent EP.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Self-released
EP
THE CORRUPTING OF THE REVOLUTION
Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
15:45
RELEASE DATE:
15th March 2019
TRACK LISTING
1) Velvet Crush
2) Need You So Bad
3) Blister Core
4) Soul Jacket
2) Need You So Bad
3) Blister Core
4) Soul Jacket
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
USA
"Primal Static's combination of finely crafted electronica and Texas blues idioms is one that works very well indeed..."
