Vitesse
- You
Win Again, Gravity!
"Deep, dark and lush, Vitesse is a real find for fans of '80s
syth-pop" [Splendid E-Zine]
Third proper full-length album from mysterious American studio duo, a collection
of sensual and sparkling synth-pop majesty. Songs drawn through a downpour of
heavily layered analogue keyboard fortitude, chiming guitar filigree and spacey
feedback sirens, delicately programmed rhythms, and a Stephin Merritt-inspired
lyrical and vocal nonchalance… A sound so
intimate it’s been described as “acoustic music powered by
electricity” and “pop music through a soft lens”, influenced by
Factory Records heyday. Previously Vitesse has released a pair of critically
acclaimed albums on Hidden Agenda, 'A Certain >Hostility' (1998) and 'Chelsea
27099' (2000). In 2001 Vitesse released a surprisingly long CDEP, 'What Can't
Be But Is', on esteemed Spanish pop imprint Acuarela.
Hewson Chen is a member of Alsace Lorraine. Joshua Klein was a member of Aden
and Toulouse.
Vitesse is for fans of Magnetic Fields, Trembling Blue Stars, New Order,
OMD...
"Here's the deal: they released two gorgeous records before this one. Both
revolve around serious mining of early-to-mid-80s British rainy-day indie and
synth-pop-- New Order, Electronic, early Depeche Mode, OMD-- which is to say
that they consist of moody pop songs constructed from sweepy/bleepy synth programming,
shimmery guitar arpeggios, and dour, bittersweet crooning. They also fall pretty
squarely into the whole bedroom-indie aesthetic, meaning that these records sound,
well, bedroomy-- intimate, a little lo-fi, and a little bit rigged with duct
tape. I'll discuss Stephin Merritt momentarily. The first Vitesse record was
called A Certain Hostility, and it was great: all twinkly synths and sleepy melodies
and an absolute swooner of a track called "A
Fine Young Age" most of it fell closer to Holiday-era Magnetic Fields than
those common-ancestor Brits. The second record was called Chelsea 27099, and
not only was it great, but it signified a slight attitude shift: same rainy days,
but suddenly the synths were colder and buzzier, the drum machines more booming,
suspicious squints all over the vocals." [Pitchfork.com]
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