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Under the moniker of Cute Heels, Colombian-born Brussels resident, Victor Lenis, releases a thought-provoking debut electronic music album that explores the darker elements of electronic instruments while avoiding the standard 4/4 thump of generic house music.
Although completely danceable, Spiritual also recalls the synth-laden soundtracks of John Carpenter, as well as the pulsing, heavy ’80s industrial sound of Nitzer Ebb and Nine Inch Nails. With the opening “La Symphonie”, a sinister shadow is cast on the daylight, announcing that this is rough terrain, the sound of skulking through dark cyberpunk alleys with a head full of valuable data. Through the following tracks, Lenis effectively uses beats, arpeggiated synthesizers and various sounds to create technological soundscapes that draw, not only from early Detroit techno and italo disco, but also the ethereal compositions of Tangerine Dream. Each track is distinct, its own intersection of a circuit board city built on the information underground, where the power of knowledge exists on a flash drive. When it’s finished, the tour is over, and we’re left to fend for ourselves in the glow of neon lights.
With Spiritual, Cute Heels successfully creates a name for himself as a talented composer within the framework of electronica. Jack in and ride the pulse for as long as you can.
