Trust - "Joyland"

Originally formed as a collaborative effort between Canadian musician Robert Alfons and Austra's Maya Postepski, the project known as Trust has taken on a slightly different direction since the departure of Postepski in 2012.  Trust is now Robert Alfons and Robert Alfons alone, making slinky coldwave synth bangers that have the energy of early house music surging through them.  The sonic blueprint for Trust is still here, and if you enjoyed their debut, you'll most likely find that same level of enjoyment in "Joyland."  The two albums definitely are composed from the same aural DNA strands.  It's not to say that Trust have re-made their 2012 album, it's just a case of "the same, but different."  Icy synths, ominous bass & pitch-shifted vocals congeal deliciously to create the result you know and love as Trust.  There's enough crossover appeal to intrigue electronic music fans of all stripes, too.  It's not hard to envision fans of Tritonal losing their minds to the throbbing overdrive of "Peer Pressure" or "Geryon," just as it isn't difficult to King Krule worshippers swooning over the electro-backed baritone majesty of "Are We Arc?"  By painting with such subtle variations on a strongly-defined palette, Trust have managed to create a welcome sophomore outing that offers comfort food for the moody soul.

TRUST - "JOYLAND"

Arts & Crafts Records 2014

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Asylum Party - "The Grey Years" Vol. 1 & 2

During their six-year tenure together as a group, France's Asylum Party they were the progenitors of some of the finest coldwave ever produced.  Stretched across 3 full-length albums and some singles, they left behind a rather impressive body of work.  However, even among fans of the genre, Asylum Party were relatively unknown in America during their lifespan and beyond.  In 2006, Infrastition Records did the world a great service by collecting Asylum Party's entire output on 2 double-disc CD collections, making their music much more available to the public.  If you are a fan of the contemporary wave of synthpop/post-punk bands sprouting up everywhere, you owe it to yourself to at least give a listen to "The Grey Years."  The chronological discography opens with "Julia" from 1988's "Picture One," possibly the band's best-known song and catchiest single.  But that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Included in this comprehensive assortment are compilation tracks, demos and all the deep cuts you would want from this self-dubbed "touching pop" trio.  There's a lot to discover here, but if you are even remotely interested in this sound, it's a must-have.  Asylum Party deserve much more recognition for the beautiful music they made.

ASYLUM PARTY - "THE GREY YEARS VOL. 1"

Infrastition Records 2006

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ASYLUM PARTY - "THE GREY YEARS VOL. 2"

Infrastition Records 2006

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