vorderhaus: minor activity

Polytechnic Youth unleash this killer of a debut full length from Berlin based Brit, Mark VORDERHAUS. Previously the main guy behind earlier label faves ‘Detox Twins’, “Minor Activity” is already being highly lauded from online blogs and early reviews and just recently, Andrew Weatherall has already added 2 ace cuts to his DJ set. There truly is no filler amongst the album’s 10 cuts, which in Mark’s own words “reveal a 10 track slow dive into the sinuous distraction of love that is -however briefly or not- owned or desired by every breather to walk their years until dust. Simple movements in synthesis providing currency for this foray of dark electro pop” Whilst lyrically he admits to a fondness to -and a tip of the cap- in places, to Dylan Thomas, Henry Miller and William Wordsworth. Across the 10 tracks here, you’re instantly drawn to that classic early Mute and Some Bizarre sound; Fad Gadget, Vince Clarke, early Soft Cell perhaps, but continued plays reveal not only the darker edge that Mark alludes to above, but a thoroughly modern, of it’s time, set of gorgeously crafted melodies and a classy songwriting guile, not to mention being stacked top to bottom with potential dancefloor fillers