At its best, music evokes feeling. When you get past the intellectual side of things, it's that emotional response that brings us back, that keeps us listening. Certain sounds do it for certain people. For me, it's usually a vintage recording quality, especially in the context of electronic music. Something inside me swells every time I hear an analog synthesizer. Maybe it's the inherent social connection to old sci-fi movies or crazy industrial laboratories, but whenever I hear some crazy synth line, I get nostalgic, and I just feel fucking good. I'm not alone either. So every early electronic aficionado, listen up: Aavikko shares your passion. Back from the Futer is their third full length, and it focuses pretty exclusively on catchy, layered synth melodies propped against motorik live drumming. In the midst of what us indie zines call an "'80s revival," this kind of beat-heavy electronica should be easy to digest. In reality though, Aavikko shares more in common with early electronic pioneers, ranging from Raymond Scott to Kraftwerk, than any disco band. The song "P-Piste" recalls Clara Rockmore, if only because we get to hear the Theremin playing a legitimate melody. Yeah, the band wears their influences on their sleeves, but it's hard to go wrong when you're drawing from a pot of the greatest artistic pioneers of our time. The rest of Back from the Futer straddles the line between lo-fi rock and some old sci-fi soundtrack, yet keeps a fairly consistent back-beat throughout. All the compositions and performances are extremely tight, but the album's real charm lies in its quality of sound. Low, polyphonic synth lines are presented with such unfiltered clarity, the sound truly feels analog as apposed to some processed Pro Tools keyboard patch. It's that extra nuance of sound that evokes a feeling of nostalgia. Really, Aavikko's audience is already established, it's just a matter of getting the music to the people who really need it. And trust me, you need it.
Oh yeah, they're also from Finland.
1. Back from the Futer
2. Rosinante
3. Homo Futurus
4. Una Lira Soluzione
5. Erotica
6. Wot Wot NeoZulu
7. Futer City
8. P-piste
9. Salamapallo
10. Capitano Argento
11. Diamond Pyramid