London-based indie electronic artist Rodney Cromwell recently released his Exercise Class EP on June 14 via Happy Robots Records. With deadpan spoken-word lyrics, a melodic chorus, and Cromwell’s signature synth sound, the title track draws inspiration from LCD Soundsystem, Metronomy, and New Order while also nodding to the iconic soundtracks of Jane Fonda workout videos.
In true Cromwell fashion, this retro-futuristic EP is equally at home on the indie-disco dancefloor as it is in a sweaty exercise studio. It’s a master class in cool, blending stylish elegance with a mix of psychedelia and post-punk. The EP sets a groove like slipping into a pair of comfortable trainers, making you feel like you’re dancing on a cloud.
The album opens with the DEVO-meets-Donny Benet-meets-Bruce Haack flavoured Exercise Class, a narrative about a soul obsessed with sculpting their body to catch someone’s eye, despite a brain full of self-doubt. The protagonist pushes through punishing workouts, vocoder rants, and frustration simmering beneath their sweat-soaked skin, even going as far as to create a workout tape for an exercise class. This determination is juxtaposed with a sense of unfulfilled yearning.
The title track is accompanied by a surreal animated video by Martin J Langthorne, offering a bizarre trip seemingly set in a theatre show within Plato’s allegorical cave.
Madeline Trip is a 55-second electronic ghost of a tune, woven from the spectral threads of Marcel Proust’s sprawling saga, In Search of Lost Time. It’s the first taste Cromwell’s audience gets when the band slinks onto the stage. The video flickers with fleeting glimpses of kittens, My Little Ponies, and intimate angles of a typewriter, each shot imbued with a nostalgic noir.
Rodney Cromwell, the solo moniker of Adam Cresswell, has roots in the 2000s electronic duo Arthur and Martha, and before that, the 90s indie folk band Saloon. Cromwell’s live shows are a lively mixed-media affair, combining analogue synths, vivid video visuals, and live instruments. He’s shared the stage with A Flock of Seagulls, Death & Vanilla, and M!R!M. In 2022, he laid down a live session for Electronic Sound and backed Blancmange on several dates.
Listen to Exercise Class (complete with remixes) below, or order here.
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