Review: Trianglecuts ‘When Death Leaves’
Having experienced the dark post-industrial techno of Futures We Lost last year at The Peer Hat in Manchester, it was great to see electro wizard Doug Gordon alongside vocalist Gwen Osmond, aka Trianglecuts, last month at the same venue.
I can still picture the room now, as people were dancing along to a series of hypnotic beats and having chatted with Gordon afterwards about this imminent release, I felt that it was incumbent upon me to review the album.
That night in June, the duo played a couple of new tracks, Traces Of Blood and When Death Leaves, to give an insight into what to expect from their latest offering. Their music is cross-generational, as it’s enthralling and enchanting to so many people for so many different reasons, and when the opening track, A Way to Escape, begins, you can feel your whole body wake up. The soft vocals from Osmond are set against a plethora of noises as the post-punk dark wave electronic duo brighten your lives with their soundscapes.
Carry These Bones feels like it’s straight out of a 1980’s apocalyptic film score, haunting and mesmeric, the captivating vocals draw you into their world as the twosome play a variety of keyboards, modular synths and touch pads to create their unique sound. They transmit this into a visual live experience as demonstrated when they played Traces Of Blood, which takes you back to those hedonistic ’90s raves, and title track, When Death Leaves, sends a chill running down your spine. It’s the sound manipulation which is most impressive as Gordon weaves his magic, leaving Osmond to focus on the lyrics and vocal melodies.
The analogue clashes with the digital, creating a truly immersive experience…
I Suffer has a pulsing beat bursting out before the textured notes create more theatre for us to enjoy. The analogue clashes with the digital, creating a truly immersive experience, as vocal loops add to the ambience and on Cut Body there’s further experimentation with the melodies that sit alongside destructive, yet soothing serenading from Osmond as the lyrics are repeated in the eeriest of ways.
Dance Of The Possessed is a strange one, as mysterious, chilling sounds emerge with a ghostly harmony, but it leads perfectly into dEvil In Me. Once more, Osmond’s voice dominates proceedings, with more disconcerting vocals, set against a haunting, icy composition; however, with her background in photography and visual aesthetics, I can’t wait to see what accompanies this when they perform it live.
Final track, I Slumber, has that beautiful ‘80s synthwave elegance, all futuristic and atmospheric to leave your mind in a state of suspension. It’s spooky and gothic yet strangely comforting, with a hint of macabre thrown in and demonstrates how Trianglecuts are at the forefront of thought-provoking and intelligent music-making.
Label: Ghost Replica Media
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
