Synthesisers are a paradoxical instrument. On one hand, they’re responsible for the soundtracks that every baby born in the 80’s was conceived to, but on the other hand they’re just about the geekiest instrument that you regularly see on stage outside an orchestra. They’re just a whole bunch of knobs, labeled with cryptic clues like ‘pulsewidth‘ or ‘peak‘ – some of them don’t even have words – like ADSR. The hell does that mean? So how do you play the Synthesiser in the 2010’s and not look like a nerd? Punk it up a bit and do like Multiple Man.
Mad decent synthesised tunes from Brisbane duo Multiple Man. Watch and listen to the first single of their upcoming release Persuasion.
Now bear with us, because when I hear something about synthesisers and punk, I immediately think of these two clowns. Luckily for everyone involved, Multiple Man borrows a lot more from the DIY aspects of punk than the above mentioned duo, and what results is something special. The audible signal distress, the compressed clipping and a unnaturally natural distortion on their latest track Persuasion reminds us that the synthesiser and the sequencer are instruments too.
The clinicality of modern dance music has given us this notion that synthesisers are something that are just programmed on a computer and thrown together at the drop of a hat. Like a good guitar album, Multiple Man’s releases are wholes that may not be the sum of the parts – highlighting the proficiency of certain sequences and oscillations through drone and repetition.
Where the brisbane duo’s debut s/t dropped the fidelity down to conform with something industrial and mechanical, Persuasion gives the illusion that the Multiple Men have scrubbed up and gone for something a little sleeker. Have no fear, they haven’t been ‘future classic’d’ like a certain Sydney three piece, but I’ve got a feeling that Persuasion might be a step in a more accessible (not necessarily better) direction.
Still, we’re treated to a spluttering bass bounce, some not very sexy digitally affected vocals and an unshakable sense of techno darkness throughout the composition. It’s still music to fear a cold war to – the soundtrack to a lecture on Reaganomics – to be put on the mixtape labelled ‘for terminating replicants’ – but on the whole, it seems less real, y’know what I mean?
Persuasion can be listened to for free on any number of streaming platforms that represent Multiple Man, and will feature on a forthcoming twelve inch maxi single on Nopatience Records, Burka For Wverybody and Catalina Tapes. With a release date slated for ~November, take this time to head over to the bandcamp to stare at the song titles while you listen to a leaked copy of Syro that may or may not be real.
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