| Artist |
| Munich Syndrome |
| Title |
| Electro Pop |
| Format/Cat |
| CD SS0002 |
| Label |
| Syndrome Sounds |
| Style |
| 80s Influenced Electropop |
| Date of review |
| 4th September 2008 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 8/10 |
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The name might lead you to think that this is yet another German artist but, in fact, Munich Syndrome is the solo project of American musician David B. Roundsley. MS was born in the 80s & it's clear that this is where Roundsley's heart still belongs, his music being heavily influenced by the European synthpop/europop heroes such as Giorgio Moroder (the title makes this a prime example of an album that does exactly what it says on the cover!) &, on a more obscure note, Koto & Lazerdance with a consistently strong melodic feel that pays dividends throughout, starting with the opening 'Manifesto' which immediately impresses with its mix of vocodered voice & rhythms that resemble Kraftwerk circa Computer World (& thus the hiphop styles that that album inspired) & catchy melodies that just scream 'THIS IS REAL SYNTHPOP', something which can only ever be a cause for celebration. After this fine start the quality is maintained as a pleasing combination of voice effects & soaring synthleads make 'Dance (Ah Eeh Ya Ya Ya') another instantly exciting piece while the dreamy saxophone voice that adds an additional funky edge to 'Revenge' as well as both versions of 'Love & Dancing' (the extended version of which could well gain widespread club appeal if it were promoted in the right circles) & 'Electro Bop' which boasts some rather, er, boppy rhythms but is otherwise quite a laidback piece, testifies that Roundsley is not afraid to look outside the normal synthpop influences for inspiration which is all to the good, of course. Like the aforementioned bands, this isn't an album big on variety although the combination of appealingly gritty guitar sounds & emotive synth riffs make 'Come Out & Play (Peaks & Valleys Mix)' another worthwhile number while the almost freeform-sounding 'Space Age Bachelor Pad Music' sounds appropriately laidback & loungey. With 14 tracks on offer & a running time of well over 70 minutes as well as some excellent computer artwork, this is an all-round excellent package, making Munich Syndrome a musical infection well worth catching!
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