Black Turtleneck - Musical Chairs

Black Turtleneck
Musical Chairs
Normals Welcome, 2006

There is a mincing seriousness to this album, which makes their name a wry puzzle. There seems to be an element of poking fun at the humourless chin-scratching electronic crowd, while the band also steps right into some of the stereotypes they are mocking. Perhaps they’re just acknowledging the preciousness in electronic music that often emerges when vocals are involved. A slightly English sounding vocal part here, a single line drenched in delay there, suddenly its 1985 and your hair hurts from the gel.

Black Turtleneck is a collaboration of Jason Amm (of Solvent) taking care of synthesizers and programming, and Thomas Sinclair, who handles programming and vocal duties. In some ways they are very similar to Solvent, in the furry, vintage-synth sounds, video game bleeps and nostalgic step-sequenced stuffs, but the vocals add a different element. The vocals meet somewhere between New Order and Depeche Mode, but can also sometimes steer toward the more interesting and irregular stylings of Tarwater. The Black Turtleneck aesthetic is decidedly retro, and done with skill—suitable for those nights when it’s just you, your leather bodysuit, sulkiness and a half-bottle of dry sherry. Technocracy! Remorse! Drizzle!

Finally, Musical Chairs is an album of infinitely danceable music without requiring the thumping quarter-note bass attack you hear from every passing Civic, and the melodies are quite catchy to boot.

But again, I can’t be certain about whether the album is in homage to the 80s, or stuck in them, and that uncertainty makes this album one that’s spun selectively. When I’m really in the mood, and my bodysuit looks particularly maudlin without me.