Black Cab’s new EP Go Slow is an evocative foray into electronica, assembled around a cool vintage aesthetic while still being firmly anchored in the present.
The fact that the four tracks on the record dip their toes in the nostalgia pool is not to be unexpected, given that the EP is a concept album of sorts and influenced by the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and that naughty, drug-gobbling East German team.
From the dreamy synth notes that open ‘Go Slow (Tim Holmes mix)’, to the popping electro drumbeat and Andrew Coates’ ghost-of-Ian-Curtis vocals, the song captures the spectre of early post-punk and cloaks it in a hazy, shimmering, and very ‘now’ electronic jacket.
Two mixes of ‘Go Slow’ are included on the EP; the second version by Simon Polinski ups the tempo and tones down the electro vibe in order to let Black Cab’s psychedelic rock underpinnings filter through.
Both mixes coax out the track’s distant, romantic quality and angle it towards high rotation at clubs and music festivals this summer.
While the lion’s share of attention has been devoted to ‘Go Slow’, the slow-burning gem of the EP is ‘Games Of The XXI Olympiad’.
With its undulating, distorted kraut-rock notes and cool shaker rhythm, it’s the kind of track that would be at home on a vintage Primal Scream or Air French Band record.
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Enjoy the retro-tinged soundscapes of Go Slow, but keep your eyes fixed on the future. Black Cab’s upcoming fourth LP, due out in June 2014, is one to look out for.
Listen to ‘Games Of The XXI Olympiad’ by Black Cab here: