New Artist Spotlight: Cosmopolis blends arty post-rock with electronic sound design for a smoother entry into their dark world [Video]
Sometimes, at Your EDM, we like to travel the borders of electronic music for a moment to see how this universe is created at its edges. A sort of musical Slab City, if you will. Sometimes, in this marginal but infinitely creative space, dwell artists who are excellent but perhaps not electronic enough for YEDM, but we watch them nonetheless. Post punk/art rock band Cosmopolis are one of those bands who were just cutting edge electronically and who, with their latest industrial-tinged single ‘Nixon-Manson’, made their way into electronic consciousness, and you better believe we’re here for it.
“Nixon-Manson” is only Cosmopolis’ fourth single since the trio, based in three different and geographically dispersed cities (Brussels, Brisbane and London) but their style is already well developed and polished. Ever since their debut single “God Hotel” in mid-2020, their trippy, semi-psychedelic style of fusing guitars with psychobilly-inspired sound design was unique enough for a bunch of listeners and press to take notice.
Expanding along this post rock and post punk line, the haunting, melodic and slightly shoegzey “Drought” and the minimal but heavy Waits-or-Cave-inspired “The Distances” also contained that ambient electronic flare that has once again sparked interest in the crossover. music fans to see where they would go next. Now we have an answer in “Nixon-Manson,” a decidedly EDM-y offering that was posted on Cosmopolis’ Bandcamp page last month.
Hovering on the arty border of industrial and Love and Rockets Edge of gothic, “Nixon-Manson” does a good job of showing the bones of Cosmopolis’ composition, which are rooted in classical and theatrical. Even though the song changes tempo, beats up structures and even genres a bit throughout its run to give it that arty, post-rock illusion of organized chaos, it’s clear that all parts of the track have been meticulously mapped out. along a score sheet (or screen, more likely). They should be, given the number of moving parts and the chaotic crescendo at the end. When the eerie, buzzing vox is the main anchoring force of a track, you know it needs to be meticulously crafted.
While it’s nice to see Cosmopolis firmly in the electronica camp now, it seems clear with their work so far that “Nixon-Manson” isn’t necessarily a watchword for them to stand on. move that way permanently. With a style as fluid as theirs and an obvious knack for realizing almost limitless sound ideas, we can’t quite predict where they’ll go next, but that’s the fun of Slab City, isn’t it? You never know what you’ll see when you venture there, but you know it will always be impressive.
“Nixon-Manson” is out now and can be streamed or purchased on Cosmopolis’ Bandcamp page. Check out their YouTube channel for more intense videos.