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And now for something completely different…at least as far as Pairs are concerned.
Granted, their February 2013 release, Eltham Join, a hilarious collection of piano/vocal ballads, was quite a departure from their signature Wire/Fall-fueled guitar/drums duo, but now the manic punk sensibilities have turned to electronic territory. That’s “electronic,” not “electronica,” i.e., experimental music, not Lady Gaga. Your Feet Touch Ground, A Carousel is marked by dark proto-industrial beats, haunting, psychotic vocals and an ominous, cavernous drone that effectively creates a discomforting tone. The result is close to Throbbing Gristle, or more precisely, early Cabaret Voltaire. Xiao Zhong‘s voice quivers in reverb chanting barely audible lyrics a la CV’s Stephen Mallinder to repetitive beats, unmusical sounds and tapes. “Ballet Theme Downstream,” for example, begins as thumping bass drum and vocals, but morphs into lo-fi digitalia fit for Pan Sonic. Only “38,000 Feet in the Bathroom Line” allows a hint of folkiness to creep in with guitar and vocals that sound like they were recorded to a mini-cassette recorder.
It may not be the stripped-down punk of their earlier efforts, but Your Feet Touch Ground, A Carousel allows Pairs to explore other avenues while remaining true to their core sensibilities. Quite honestly, this is probably their best album to date. Play it on headphones in the dark after a crap day at work for a truly feel-bad experience.
