“Take off thy raincoat and groove” once remarked surly scouse motormouth Ian McCulloch. Flange Circus appear to have followed this advice, dispensing their previous post rock meets the Radiophonic Workshop in favour of getting people to move their feet and nod their heads.
Manchester muso’s Flange Circus (Bon, Pete, Adam and John) released their debut EP Ekranoplan last year (click for review). Offering a healthy dose of seconds is their new record, Overexposed…
‘Fabric Lughole Systems’ (click to watch the video) pitches the listener into neon mud; competing in The Krypton Factor in the world of Tron. On MDMA. As an homage to 90s dance / techno it’s rather splendid. Electronics zip past you at light speed, bass chugs like Von Ryan’s Express.
‘FAT CRAB’ continues the dancefloor vibe but with the axis tilted from rave to space rock. And so, Flange Circus pay their dues to Hawkwind. Crunching guitar lands at the halfway mark which would make for an excellent glowsticks-in-the-air moment.
‘Leopard Skin In Miniature’ melds a post punk vibe with prominent bass, noir electronics and moody vocals. Not a million miles from the dungeons of Cabaret Voltaire, The Passage or Sisters Of Mercy. There’s a real early 80s Factory Records mood going on here.
‘Disko Bay’ is the closest sounding to Ekranoplan with an emphasis on retro electronics. All in all this sounds like a mash up of a soundtrack to a BBC kids show, Kraftwerk’s Metropolis and a New Age CD that isn’t shite. The ending is pretty much a happy Sigur Ros with martial beats. With a spring in their step, Flange Circus ride off into the sunset…
Pleasingly, Flange Circus have avoided the main concern I had with the previous release: a certain reliance on the old post-rock standard of 4 minutes of one idea then a quiet bit then change it up a bit for 4 minutes.
However, while the EP’s versatility and technique shows their skill, the record feels as if it could be a sampler from four different bands, thus making it difficult for Flange CIrcus’ identity to shine through.
Flange Circus are a studious band who know music inside and out. A great deal of their appeal is that they appear to be music geeks, making music for music geeks. I am eager to know if they can make people dance in the live environment though, it’s time Flange Circus started steppin’ out…
Perfect music for either reading a novel or boozy good times with friends, Flange Circus have another immaculate, fun release to their name.
Overexposed is available here for a snip…
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