Melbourne synthpop project Static has released an earnest and wistful new three-track EP, Fading Away. The mastermind, Joseph Ling, formed Static as a solo project in late 2019 when his main band had downtime but evolved into a full-time focus. Bold bass lines coupled with stringent and syncopated drum beats are the foundation on which warm atmospheric synths are layered. Static embraces dark, melancholic cold wave influences with the spirit of punk energy throughout.
Fading Away delves more into the pop realm than Ling’s previous efforts, although the 80s-inspired synths overflow with their trademark sentiment and melancholy. Static has a nostalgic twist: a synth construction similar to S U R V I V E, a revisitation of the oeuvre of vintage sci-fi scores, Ling’s soaring, heartfelt vocals bringing to mind The The’s Matt Johnson or a new wave Midnight Oil. Elements of Black Marble, Molchat Doma, Electric Youth, and Joy Division can be heard in their sound; although Ling steers the music toward the cinematic. Lurking beneath the bleak soundscapes, the sense of energy and momentum courses throughout his music through bold basslines, minimalist drumming, and atmospheric synths.
“I wanted to write something that sounded like it could be from the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie or Stranger Things… but sadder,” he remarks.
You can also stream the album on Spotify.
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