This Is Not A Band starts on a nine, and only further cranks things up from there. It’s been a while since I’ve heard something as hard and electronic as this and felt so instantly grabbed... The track layers together the kind of dark bass line that reminds me of Jilted Generation era Prodigy but combines it with elements of French touch - the techno flourishes of Daft Punk and the distortion-heavy sound of Justice. The result was that before the track even got going, I found myself dancing on my own in the kitchen one morning.
It’s the build that really makes This Is Not A Band shine though. As the song hits it’s mid-point, the vocals begin to deliver the kind of punky assertions we expect from Soulwax and LCD Soundsystem. And it just keeps going, aggressively layering noise upon noise until, suddenly, it just stops... And I instantly go back and start it all again.
Carré means square, but can also be translated to playing tight, or on point, a term that definitely feels relevant here. The trio are French, but are based in LA, and started out in 2019 with the focus on two drummers being a statement, and a calling card. Their focus in on creating music that tries to avoid preoccupation with form and structure, and instead embrace a surrealist view of the world, inspired by geometrical shapes and patterns. The band lay out their philosophy:
“There’s something about not getting attached to the form, when you step back and disengage yourself from the form, you become in touch with something more pure and spiritual, while remaining in the square.”
Check out This Is Not A Band below: