Modem: Interface 12″

Description

The Helsinki-based synth-pop duo Modem return with their second full-length album, Interface a sleek, mirror-tiled exploration of identity, illusion, and emotional architecture. The album drops October 10.

Rooted in the cool pulse of minimal synth-pop, the noir haze of ’80s film soundtracks, and the emotional tension of early Depeche Mode, Interface is both a love letter to the past and a razor-sharp commentary on the present. Gothic glamour, new wave gloss, and fluorescent melancholy all find their place in Modems sonic universe.

Each track acts like a layer in a system personas flicker, masks glitch, and reality fragments. Its a concept album for the age of curated selves and algorithmic intimacy. Identity isnt a mirror its an interface.

Our take: Ive been seeing my European friends post photos of their copies of Modems new LP, Interface, for a couple of months, but the US pressing on Don Giovanni only just arrived. Fortunately, its worth the wait! If you arent familiar with Modem, theyre an electronic duo comprising two experienced Finnish musicians with deep connections to that countrys punk scene: Ville from Yleiset Syyt / Foreseen / Kohti Tuhoa (among many others!) and Tytti from power-pop group Plastic Tones. Jeff once called this setup hey boo, lets make bleep-bloops, referring to the many electronic duos featuring two musicians who are also romantic partners. (Boy Harsher and Fatamorgana also spring to mind.) Fatamorgana is actually a pretty good point of comparison for Modem. Both bands rely primarily on sequencers and synths, but make music thats informed by punks high energy levels and pops reverence for the melodic hook. Its music that sits at the meeting-point of dance music and electronic pop, with a very 80s tonal palette that elicits some nostalgia for those of us who grew up in that decade or anyone with a soft spot for the Human Leagues Dare. As youd expect if youre familiar with the rest of Ville and Tyttes music, the instrumental tracks are brilliantly and tastefully composed, of unimpeachable quality, but what really knocks me out on Interface is Tyttis voice. She sounds fantastic here; her voice is rich in texture and brimming with emotion. For me, the vocals are often the weak point in modern music in this vein, particularly since theyre often clouded with distortion and other effects. Not here Tyttis vocals are crystal clear and she has this way of singing thats intimate, like the song is directed precisely at me. I guess Id call that star power, and its why, when I reach for comparisons for this album, my mind goes to mainstream acts like Human League or Madonna rather than contemporary groups working in a similar milieu (though Ill say Rikis fans should look this up right away). If any of the reference points I mentioned here pique your interest, give this a listen and see if youre as knocked out as I am.