Code – Continuum (Album – Lo-Tek)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Indie-Pop, Cinematic.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: UK formation Code released a noticeable and even somewhat ‘cult’-album “The Architect” in 1995 followed in 2020 by “Ghost Ship”. “Ghost Ship” announced the return of this band which now unleashed their newest opus with the appropriated title “Continuum”.
Content: Code again mixes Electro-Pop and Cinematic/Ambient influences together. But I experience this work as more ‘Pop’-driven. It takes off in a sweet way but rapidly evolves into a sensuality created by deep, vibrating bass lines and hot male vocals. The slow tempo accentuates the sensual touch of the work which comes to an end with more cinematic passages.
+ + + : The previous album was an enjoyable release and noticeable come-back. “Continuum” is a confirmation. Most of the songs give me a ‘summer-feeling’ by the slow cadence, vibrating bass lines and sexy vocals. “You’re The One” illustrates this approach but I also want to mention “Love Is A Liquid” which reveals fine, bleeping, tunes.
– – – : The last part of the work is also enjoyable but this Cinematic feeling rather sounds as an antithesis to the strong main part. I also regret that the work only features 8 songs.
Conclusion: Code strikes back with an album with a very own and refreshing approach in Pop music.
Best songs: “You’re The One”, “Love Is A Liquid”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: https://lo-tek.co.uk/artists/code
Label: https://lo-tek.co.uk Read the news on ‘Continuum’.
About Code
Code is a UK electronic quartet that started out in the early 1990s. Discogs lists Andrew Phillips, Darren Till, David Mitchell and Graham Cupples as members, with Phillips on vocals, and records Mortal as an earlier name of the group.
The band issued the “Light Years / Parsifal” EP on Down By Law Records in 1992 and “505 345 675 Delta 9” on Remote Sentry Records in 1993, then moved to Third Mind Records for the single “Cities” in 1994 and the single “Criminals” and the album “The Architect” in 1995. “The Architect” was released on March 30, 1995, as Third Mind was winding down.
Code returned 25 years later on Lo-Tek Audio with the singles “Light Years”, “Gentle Science | Matter & Motion Mix” and the track “Love Perfection” in 2020, alongside the album Discogs files as “Ghostship” and this review calls “Ghost Ship”. The singles “Pleasure” and “Acheron” followed in 2022.
“Continuum” was built by reworking material from archived studio sessions. The label announced it for June 24, 2022 in a 12-track 2LP edition and an 8-track CD edition, while Discogs dates its editions of the album to 2023 and credits both Lo-Tek Audio and Furthur Electronix.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
