Koban – “Abject Obsessions” – [Avant]

Kai Sync   6/22/2016   12-inch, A Library

This is gothic post-punk with drum machines, angry synths and lyrical content. This duo from Vancouver with the second album continues the dark post-punk path with manic drum machine patterns, french speaking subtitles, male post-punk angst vocals, dirty synths and angry guitars, borrowing a path into to the darkest corners of the listener’s brain. Post-punk as a movement is a tough choice as any musical paths could be considered cliche, however Koban achieves to carve uniqueness into this 30+ year old genre, mostly thanks to adding energetic complexity and introspection to each song. It also helps to sing parts in French.