Human Figures – Tabula Rasa (Album – Frigio Records)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Wave, Cold-Wave.
Format: Digital, Vinyl, Cassette.
Background/Info: “Tabula Rasa” is the second album by Human Figures which is a project driven by Daniel Lewis aka ‘Daniel Holt’. The work comes two years after “The Recluse Or Death Posture”-album. The work is also available on cassette format which has been released by Dead Channel Records.
Content: Human Figures sounds mainly Dark-Wave driven revealing 80s guitar playing and dark atmospheres. A few more cuts are more into Electro sound treatments, evoking the good-old years of Cold-Wave characterized by icy strings.
+ + + : This project avoids any innovation but sounds as a cool extension of the 80s Dark/Cold-Wave movement. I like the 80s Electro minimalism of the instrumental “Conclusions Are Nil”. “Military School” is another enjoyable cut carried by icy leads and reminding me a bit of Minimal Compact. The more classical Dark-Wave / Post-Punk songs like “Obedience” and “Disparage” are noticeable songs as well featuring haunting vocals on top.
– – – : The work is maybe missing a little bit more elaboration although the sound perfectly evokes the early 80s experiments in Dark/Cold-Wave music.
Conclusion: This band brings the dark spirit of the 80s back alive and I even would think the sound was originally composed back then.
Best songs: “Conclusions Are Nil”, “Military School”, “Obedience”, “Disparage”.
Rate: 7.
Label: www.frigiorecords.com / www.facebook.com/frigiorec
Listen to “Tabula Rasa”:
About Human Figures
Human Figures is the project of Daniel Lewis, also known as Daniel Holt. “Tabula Rasa” was originally released on a limited cassette edition via Dead Channel Records before this Frigio Records edition, mastered by Kevin Frey with art direction by Estudio Traslucido and Emilio Fos, distributed by KMA60. It follows “The Recluse Or Death Posture” as Human Figures’s second album on Frigio Records.
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