Hailing from Orleans, France, Introspect seeks to “make music to find out who I really am.” Their blend of funk, house, electronic, and industrial music gives a bouncy life to their music, a soundtrack to a futuristic landscape where rules are made to be broken. Under the label of “cyberfunk,” their newest album Redemption is an exciting work, a fresh take on the electronic genre that will catch even the most cynical of rivetheads and ravers off-guard.
Pulsing in is the introductory “Unmake My Love,” with its gorgeous overlaying of synths and distorted guitars. The bass guitar slaps and trills over the soundscape, giving way to a funky spin on electro-industrial. The synth breaks are dreamy, saturated just enough to make them really sing. Next comes “Breathing Strobe,” with its more urgent pace and even more prominent bass lines. It wubs and dubs along, with the bass guitar popping through the beat every so often to remind the listener about the “funk” portion of the term “cyberfunk.” Not to mention, the bass solo is one of the funnest things I’ve heard from the instrument this side of Les Claypool. “Breathing Strobe” might be my favorite track from this album full of bangers.
Another tasty bass line rings in “The Flayed Dancer,” as the lead melody haunts and imposes. It’s a mid-tempo stomp, a bass-laden dancer of a number to behold. Slinking in behind it is “Alien Sex (Pt. 1),” with an infectious bass line and simple four-on-the-floor rhythm. The odd hi-hat patterns that fill out the post-drop section are a nice odd touch for an aptly odd-titled song, as the synths groove along. “No Turning Back” has a dainty piano intro, turning into a chilled-out groove with an earworm of a bass line. I know I’ve talked a lot about the bass in this review so far, but it’s so prominent and well-composed that it has to be discussed in order to paint the full picture.
“Come Up” is uptempo, coming in hot with plenty of low-end for you bassheads. It’s a dance-floor ready track with even more dancing lead synth lines, a number that isn’t trying to leave anyone behind, but rather bring them into the party. “Dance With Me” continues the frenzy that “Come Up” started, with more of that delectable slap bass riffing. It’s such a satisfying track, between the bass line, the bass guitar flourishes, all with that club track sensibility that drives it forward.
“Soumets-Toi” cranks up the heat, with a more in-your-face lead and a progressive synth layered underneath. It’s as heavy of a track as one can get on this disc, without throwing in some rock guitars, at least. The build-up just before the three-minute mark is the pinch of bass drop the track needs, before the percussion steps back a step and allows a whispering of the song’s title to ease its way in. “Delirium” is a bullet train in this post-modern setting, slamming down the accelerator as if the vehicle were barreling down an open road. Even with the fast, pumping kick, the synths in the section around 3:20 sound like they could be in a song half the speed. And if an instrument’s section works on its own, hey, even better. Wrapping up this cyberpunk soundtrack is “The Agent,” with its distorted lead lines and even a key change around the three minute mark. It wraps up this disc nicely, giving us bits and pieces of everything the previous ten tracks have asked us to expect of them.
On Redemption, Introspect are putting forth forward-thinking, genre-blending electronic music to great success. It’s managed to pull ahead of the rest of the pack, with the funk inspiration, the earnestly futuristic sound, and most of all, the danceability of damn near everything presented here. Do not let this record fly under the radar, as it deserves every listen it gets and then some.
Redemption is available for streaming and purchase on Bandcamp.
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