New Music – Agricultural Bond

In this semi-futuristic age where culture draws inspiration from the dystopian novels and media that preceded 2022, records from DEVO and Brian Eno immediately jump into the frame with The Serfs.

A Cincinnati outfit equipped with mysterious vibrations in sound, the cutting edge becomes less dulled and more key to the touch with their newest record Primal Matter.

Nearly impossible to pinpoint the era of time when released, Primal Matter could be a piece from 1980 or a direct link to what every record sounds like in the not-so-distant future.

Opening with “Stimuli,” there is this notion to format and articulate a systematic conquering with synth performances where Schwarzenegger would be the main protagonist. While motion was most of the 80’s main themes and tones of their records, The Serfs want to produce a perfect recreation and addition to that similar mantra.

“Stimuli” is a matching bounce to the metallic synths of crunching industrial scenes where hammers on metal resemble the percussion. The ethereal vocals stack upon each other and the layering forces a hand of ghostly power.

Later, the track “This Chorea” has a slick bass groove that thumps along like a Sega Genesis cartridge. Images of 16-bit pixeled Batman’s and slime ooze into the audience’s hands as The Serfs use this introduction as a foundation to sculpt upon. The instrumentation while often simple on Primal Matter is catchy enough to continue to appear even days after The Serfs disappear.

One of the shining examples jumps to be “Politics of Emptiness” where near the end of the track, these instrumental elements pile up like some mutant exhibition to become a wall of noise. While starting as a subtle introduction, The Serfs format every key component to eventually shine meticulously and directly like beams of the sun. Power grows from the tension where miraculously the levee breaks and an overpowering rush of sound finds a home.

Winding through sonic stability, The Serfs are collected enough to feel robotic behind an entirely human-produced machine. Whether by synths or strings, Primal Matter is a great approach to a favorited classic sound.

Listen To Primal Matter Here!!! – BandCamp