Silent Servant / Broken English Club - Violence & Divinity

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  • Juan Mendez and Oliver Ho have at least two things in common: both are techno artists, and both are proudly influenced by '80s post-punk, EBM, industrial and so on. This in mind, a joint EP from them seems like a no-brainer, especially one for Minimal Wave, an indefatigable source of the shadowy sounds that inspire both producers. Hence Violence & Divinity, a split EP by Silent Servant and Broken English Club released on the Minimal Wave sub-label Cititrax. Mendez and Ho get one side each, and both take a similar tack. Silent Servant's "Speed & Violence" and Broken English Club's "Divinity" both combine dizzy arpeggios, marching rhythms and Suicide-style vocals (distant, disaffected and drowning in reverb). Mendez brings a bit more techno oomph on "Cut Unconscious," with strobing hi-hats and the record's toughest beat. Ho, meanwhile, goes off-piste a bit with "Delays," a rambling, angular sculpture of drums and guitar-feedback (plus more Suicide vocals for good measure). Retro-minded as they are, these tracks don't sound nostalgic—they're delivered in crisp tones that make them feel perfectly fresh. And in the right hands, a touch of '80s melodrama can really bring a techno track to life.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Silent Servant - Speed And Violence A2 Silent Servant - Cut Unconscious B1 Broken English Club - Divinity B2 Broken English Club - Delays
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