release date: Sep. 15, 2016
format: digital (5 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]
producer: Blondage
label: self-released - nationality: Denmark
Studio EP debut by Danish synthpop duo Blondage, which basically is identical to the duo Rangleklods who most recently released the acclaimed Straitjacket (May 2015). Esben Nørskov Andersen and Pernille Smith-Sivertsen are both credited all songs and music as was the case on the 2015 album.
The 'new' name of the duo with reference to 'Blonde' and 'Bondage' may be a result of restarting a career with a more international edge after experiencing some attention from both the British and the US markets - and then some [national] critics already pointing to the odd ambiguous Rangleklods, which again was a made up name, although, in Danish only.
The five tracks here have a total running time of approx. 18 minutes and the style isn't far from what we heard on Straitjacket. You could add that the musical soundscape has been condensed to a lighter and less aggressive, or: less playful style, which doesn't include the archetypical progressions from house nor the electronic reminiscense from the first releases by Rangleklods. It's more like MØ (especially on "Dive"], Oh Land and the huge pond of contemporary generic pop, which loans and has its foundation deep in art pop, electropop and dance pop - and where 'pop' is the common denominator. Andersen and Smith-Sivertsen now sings on most tracks together utilising the new standard: vocoder and emulators. Instead of being groundbreaking or highly original, this mostly sounds like a detour into club and 'pop'-land. To me, it's too strained and willed likeable. Only composition with a positive outcome is the end-track "FLF" (abbreviated for 'Feel Like Falling'), which combines indie pop and electropop with a fine melody. Imho, this is the least interesting release by Esben Nørskov Andersen.
Some critics - see below - found this a fascinating turn, but still the duo never issued a full-length album. They released a few more singles - after a single remix released Nov. 2017, Andersen and Smith-Sivertsen - now a romantic couple - apparently decided to split as a musical duo but now with Smith-Sivertsen continuing as Blondage, while Andersen returned to his one-man brainchild project of Rangleklods.
[ 😮Soundvenue 5 / 6 stars ]
