Fast Forward/T Cells : Split EP

Here we have two bands, each occupying their own mini CD for their “side” of a split single. T-Cells are from Long Beach, boasting members of the Locust, Le Shok, The Distraction and Nazti Skinz. Fast Forward are from L.A. and have ties to bands like Wrangler Brutes, Nazti Skinz, the Locust and Le Shok. Incestuous much?

T-Cells play ultra minimalist electro-goth pop over drum machine beats. The songs basically go: beep beep, blip be bop, krrrrrr, zzzzzp, bump bump, ding, with some dude in the background throwing down some unintelligible lyrics every once in a while. The closest thing to a listenable song is their cover of “Maserati” by the seventies San Francisco punk band Crime. In all there are five tracks, two of which are decent.

Fast Forward is a different beast altogether. Again, they have a kind of electro-goth pop thing happening, but they manage to make it a lot more interesting and fun to listen to. FF decided to actually make their brand of minimalism into “real” songs, kind of like if Le Shok formed in `85. “M.O” sounds like a Nintendo on meth, while “Race Relations,” whose only line is “White pride/ Black power/ Everyone gets shoved in the showers” is sure to rile up your PC neighbors. I’m gonna check out more from this band.

Both bands love dark `80s electronic music. Both bands are super lo-fi. One band is pretty good. The other? Well, on this release, not really.

Similar Albums:
Christian Death – Only Theatre of Pain
Le Shok – We Are Electrocution
Einsturzende Neubaten – Strategies Against Architecture