Formed in Montreal in 2010, French speaking four piece, Police Des Moeurs, have evidently spent the past three years not just performing and producing, but also perfecting the art of creating synth-pop that’s dark, deadpan and probably grimier than your kitchen sink.
Simplistic monotone chords sit sweetly (yet slightly uncomfortably) in the middle of the distorted warbles of a synthesizer and pessimistic vocals, providing the perfect stimulus for every coldwave record; biting icy beats, a little bit of minimalism and a load of 80’s influence.
Needless to say the sulkiness of this EP is screaming out for a Joy Division comparison, and I’d be untrue to say it hadn’t crossed my mind. Holding me back from the moody post-punk references is the fact that this EP may have bizarre post-apocalyptic Ian Curtis-esque anxiety and intensity, but there’s an analog, electronic undertone that leaves me feeling suspiciously like I’ve just been bitch slapped with a Gameboy, or challenged to battle yet another “gym leader” in Pokemon Yellow. Go figure. But is this a good thing? Well, I’m pretty sure any record that can tear you between Armageddon and Nintendo deserves due credit/a massive high five.
In spite of, and possibly even as a result of the end of the world eeriness and the 90’s digital anime flashbacks, Les Mécanismes de la Culpabilité is twenty-four minutes of hypnotic sulkiness and blurry melodies, and makes for a deserving listen.
Les Mécanismes de la Culpabilité is out today on Atelier Ciseaux. Stream the whole EP right here:
