Keluar - Keluar

Keluar is the project of Zoè Zanias of Linea Aspera and Sid Lamar of Schwefelgelb, both well-known bands in the European synth underground. The band has released two vinyl EP's, and they have been collected into this compilation CD that also features two remixes done by Dutch angst pop band Distel and the Sheffield-based one-man band Soft Riot.

What first strikes me about this release is how versatile Keluar can be. I hear elements of minimal synth, EBM, techno, post-punk and what not. You have your up-tempo hits that sounds like they're made with a dark dancefloor in mind; The EBM'ish 'Eremus', the abrupt techno of 'Vitreum' and instant synth classic 'Ennoea'. There's also some quality down-tempo tracks like the industrial pop of 'Rivers' or the post-punkish 'Rupture', which is my favorite track of this CD. The music tends to be a bit on the experimental side with unexpected and sometimes even strange synth sounds and the mechanical drums, but there's a lot of catchy melodies and the vocals of Zoè Zanias gives it some kinf of an organic feel. The two remixes are good additions and shows well what kind of projects that Distel and Soft Riot is. This will most likely appeal to fans of Front 242 or early John Foxx, but it really isn't fair comparing Keluar to something that happened in the past, as this is years beyond its time.

Listen to the release on Bandcamp.