JUNK, a band formed by Saxophone Junkie, Dirty D and Dubl A, a Bass minded music theory master and composer, bring to life an absolutely electric and eclectic splurge of genre-bending pieces together on the sheer adrenaline trip that is “Chromatose”. From the opening titular track onwards, you’re hurled into JUNK’s almost surrealist fantastical world that’s filled with over the top arrangements that are filled to the brim. Instrumentally dense and electronically energised, JUNK bring to life soundscapes that are inherently otherworldly and wholly mesmerising from back to front. The saxophone definitely adds a dimension to this album that’s absent or heavily underutilised otherwise.
On the instrumental dominant “None Other Than Dirty D”, you’re thrown into a track that’s so rich, so luscious, and so smooth. You find yourself head banging but also keen to just throw your head back and vibe out to the somewhat lackadaisical energy that it brings out while still unwinding so much energy. “Chill Pill” predictably brings the energy down a notch, taking the tempo a cut lower into a brief that’s a lot more relaxed and smooth, almost serving as an interlude to the record as a whole. On “Blow”, you can hear the full strength and power that a bass can bring to life, opening with a bassline that’s just absolutely electrifying. An earworm from the word go, “Blow” is the jazz and rock banger that Chromatose has to claim for itself.
All in all, “Chromatose” feels like a sheer overdose of musicality from end to end. The name itself attribute to this sensation, a complete and almost insatiable lust for more instrumentation, more sonic depth, more dense arrangements, and more lusciousness interplay between sounds and styles. It’s as eclectic as it is electric, a sheer treat for the ears and an audiophiles wet dream.