TR/ST - Performance

In the book “Nel sottosopra degli the '80s” the authors overturn the paradigm of the 1980s as “light” and “inconsequential”, made of hedonism and individualism. From a social standpoint this is easily disproved if we just think of the aftershocks of terrorism (the 1980 Bologna train station massacre) and the deadening pall of the Cold War (the Berlin Wall didn't fall until 1989). From a musical standpoint, what stands out is the explosion of creativity, experimentation and provocation driven by electronics. The devaluation of that decade is due precisely to the fact that it dismantled rock and pop conventions, creating new music the likes of which had never been heard: no one could label Depeche Mode's electronics as “light” music, because it combines the euphoria of the new, romantic escapism from an oppressive reality, and a sense of unease about an uncertain future.

Does any of this ring a bell? It's a perfect identikit of the present decade, and it's no coincidence that synth-pop has come back into vogue through dozens of admirable projects, far beyond mere revivalism. Among these projects, that of Canadian artist Robert Alfons stood out right from the start for its aesthetic devotion to the codes of a dark, stubborn synth-pop, aimed at capturing moods that oscillate between melancholy and euphoria. The shimmering landscapes built from prominently featured synths and the cold textures woven by pulsing basslines and drum machines make TR/ST one of the most steadfast champions of the 80s gospel. A real treat for anyone who wants to experience the warmth of synthetic music when it's tamed and turned into a source of sonic and physical excitement.

After Maya Postepski left the duo to devote herself to Austra, Alfons became the sole helmsman of TR/ST, and with the release of the debut album “TRST” (released on Arts & Crafts in 2012) he clearly outlined the traits of a pop sound veering toward the dark side, placing him within the new wave of dark/coldwave spearheaded by giants like Cold Cave and Soft Moon, from whom he set himself apart with a greater knack for shimmering hooks and sugary melody. While “Joyland” (2014) leaned harder into spacious, glittering sounds, the subsequent “The Destroyer” parts I and II moved respectively along industrial trajectories and toward ambient shores. A loss of direction? The low impact of the compositions might have suggested as much.

A change of course was needed, and it arrives right on time this year with “Performance”, marking a grand-scale return to the empyrean of synthetic music. The helm swings back toward textbook synth-pop, made of melodies, interlocking pulses and rhythms you could listen to on repeat without ever tiring of them. A track like “Regret” takes the best of the legacy of early Depeche Mode, as bass and drum machine pound at the eardrums and cathedrals of keyboards lift the listener toward spatial trajectories. Alfons's nasal voice confronts us with our own regrets, and the body simply can't stop dancing.

“All At Once” reveals TR/ST's more romantic side in a track that draws its energy from Pet Shop Boys and soars toward radio-friendly heights, carried along by a honeyed chorus. “The Shore” is Robert Alfons's tribute to generations of electronic sound-makers: the track opens driven by a pulse that seems to come from the dark side of the moon, before exploding into a martial, alternative-club stride, with Front 242 smiling on like proud fathers. “Boys Of LA” is a dark bomb that floats between low frequencies and warped, hallucinated synth flourishes as Alfons voices the doubts of an existence on the edge: “Leaving a mess that stay, Less of me becomes ashamed, I don't know what to say, I don't know at all”.

The title track offers a moment of respite to a listener overwhelmed by such a wealth of sounds and vibrations: it's a danceable tune, though it's at its best in the interplay between melody and dark tonalities.

“Performance” is a masterclass essay on the lofty subject of “electronic pop music”, and it wins us over with its solidity, freshness, and ability to set our imagination alight.

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26/10/2024