The five track long synth rock experience from Beat The Drum is an expedition into soundscapes that are fantastical and futuristic. Each piece reflects something about modernity through a harrowing yet shimmering atmosphere crafted and pieced together through vivid and vibrant synth production across the project. It’s got a bit of rock, a lot of synths, and an overall experimental and experiential air to it. There’s a grandiosity to the project, with each piece boasting scales that are cinematic in scope and execution.
Opulent form back to front, from the opening ‘Cult Religion’, you’re hurled into a record that explores the political and societal through a sonic assault on the senses. The incorporation of a host of futuristic beats merely adds to the melodic feeling that Beat The Drum want. There’s a pulsating bass line, moving along with rhythmic distorted guitars and an overall funky feeling.
The topicality of each piece ranges from a more grounded societal exploration to a sheer hallucinatory revelation on the more absurdist elements of the world we live in. ‘He is Here’ for instance explores a tale from a cynical televangelist which exudes absolute chaos and disorder throughout its runtime. ‘Goat Headed Man’ is a slight reprieve, more subtle and calming rather than the barrage you become accustomed to after the first few pieces.
But it’s on Here To Stay that Beat the Drum get really creepy. The decidedly dark and unsettling tune is a marked departure from the more shimmering pieces previous to it.
A duo that are remarkably innovative and imaginative in the scope and scale of the synth rock they produce, both conceptually and effectively.