Chloé – The Waiting Room

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  • The Waiting Room is a lullaby that's gone very wrong indeed. It's a place where something nasty is about to happen, but never quite does. It rivals the Japanese version of Ring in terms of unease and recalls the unsettling mood of David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Generically, it's minimal house, but don't expect the Berlin sound or clicky percussion: this is far superior and vastly more interesting than that. It takes a few listens to get past what might appear to be quite straightforward minimal. But once you do you'll discover background noises in the form of hovering UFOs, effects that resemble pages of white noise being torn up and vocals that sound like they've been spoken backwards then played forwards. Some tracks veer into downright eerie territory, but even the most apparently innocent cuts, like opener 'The Waiting Room' and 'Beneath the Underground' are too icy, too clinical to be of comfort. Chloe is like a Siren: she lures you in but you're not entirely sure you want to be near her. It's a pleasing contradiction. Elsewhere 'It's Sunday' encapsulates the marching paranoia of a horrific comedown ("It's Sunday, I don't like it...I'm alone”) better than anything I've ever heard. It also gives The Velvet Underground's 'Heroin' a run for it's money as the number one musical representation of a drug experience. Other tracks on The Waiting Room have more than a shade of Ellen Allien about them, not that that could be a bad thing. 'Amour' resembles 'Jet' from 'Orchestra of Bubbles' only gone more wrong and awry whilst 'Be Kind to Me' recalls the city scapes of Berlinette. 'Get close' says Chloe. You should, but not too close.
  • Tracklist
      01 The Waiting Room 02 I Want You 03 Be Kind To Me 04 It's Sunday 05 Common Cello 06 Around The Clock 07 No One Can Be 08 Suspended 09 Amour 10 Dead End 11 Beneath The Underground 12 Over The Dose 13 Brashov 14 Womb To Tomb 15 The Door
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