Mystique
InClub, 2022
8/10
An artist who resides in Poland but is from Idaho, Ekko The Strange certainly lives up to his name with a very moody hybrid of post-punk, goth-rock and New Wave tendencies across these 8 very unusual yet alluring tunes.
“Exotic” leads the listen with primitive drumming and dark synth-wave nods, as the haunting vocals draw us in, and “Gleboki (Deep)” keeps the setting ominous but with a dance-floor ready appeal.
Halfway through, the cinematic and sprawling “Channel” is quite unpredictable in the best ways, while “Reanimate” recruits a firm buzzing to the chilling darkwave textures that sound right at home in the ‘80s.
Things get pretty noisy near the end with the album’s best track, the pulsating “Your Shadow”, and the strategically repetitive “Ekko Reflektor” doesn’t disappoint either with its bristling nature.
If you’re a fan of Peter Murphy, David Bowie, Ian Curtis or Lou Reed, you’ll find plenty to love about this sophomore album that was written, performed and produced by a very talented musician.
Travels well with: Ritual Howls- Their Body; The Psychedelic Furs- Made Of Rain