Introverted Dancefloor

Introverted Dancefloor

Carpark Records, 2015

http://carparkrecords.com/artists/introverted-dancefloor

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 01/24/2017

You might have already heard Bevan Smith's music in the form of Signer or Aspen, and he's also been a part of Ruby Suns and Skallander. Having already proved himself well versed in folk, ambient, IDM and techno, under the moniker Introverted Dancefloor he embraces all the above genres, but wraps them up in sleek and high-energy package.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Armed with a pair of synthesizers, one mic, one filter, and one effects machine, the 14 tunes here are heavy on disco and pop, and are about what you'd expect from an outfit titled Introverted Dancefloor: moody and tense, but with the ability to make one move their body. 

While most of the songs are quick and appear to be pieced together with an unusual strategy, others – like the seven-minute “Feeling Unsound” – feature Smith's nearly whispered vocals and an ominous, unstable atmosphere. Some, like “Take It High,” are bass driven and filled with arena friendly pop that could make a run for the FM dial. Mostly, though, Smith finds himself more comfortable with the sort of darker anthems for the dimly lit club, and songs like the layered “Even If You Try” and explosive and funky opener “Happiness In Such A Mess” are indie-tronica at its finest.

Other album highlights include the groove filled “ Staking The Ground,” the skittering and highly manipulated “A Golden Light,” and the busy, disjointed “Dark Cloud Scene,” which actually sounds like three songs being played simultaneously. The album exits on “Tiger Bones” and “Shy Away,” and though they are two separate songs, they blend together into one hazy, futuristic mesh of melody and buzzing sounds that often sounds so warm despite being foreign in their delivery.

Though he hails from New Zealand, Smith's work is on par with the best of the best from New York, Detroit, or London, encompassing everything we love about techno, disco, and electro-pop.

Rating: B

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