Description

A new sublabel of the longstanding Canadian electro imprint Suction Records, Ice Machine focusing on old-school wave/post-punk sounds launches on Valentines Day 2020 with two fresh Canadian synth-pop LPs on vinyl. Along side a reissue of Ceramic Hellos cult 1981 minimal synth classic The Absence Of A Canary, comes this, the self-titled debut LP from a new Toronto-based duo, Analytica.

Analytica is comprised of David Lush, whos released several killer solo tapes under the name Memorex, and Gabe Knox, who made a big splash last year with his awesome instrumental synth/kraut solo LP ABC on acclaimed UK label Polytechnic Youth.

Analytica make synth-pop the old-fashioned way: driving, verse/chorus pop songs utilizing hardware synthesizers and drum machines, vocals and bass guitar, and recorded to tape. The comparisons to early-Depeche Mode (theres even a cover of Reason Man an unreleased, Vince Clarke-penned, Depeche song that was part of their earliest live sets), and prime-era New Order (right down to the Oberheim DMX percussion and Peter Hook-style bass guitar) are inevitable, but rarely are these sounds executed with such style and conviction. According to the band, lyrically Analytica explore facets of the dark age ahead the propaganda, the nationalism, the environmental disaster in front of our faces – while attempting to offer something of a defence against a nihilistic response to these fears. It’s at once a call to arms and a recognition that we’re entirely fucked.

The LP contains 11 songs, and is housed in a stunning reverse-board jacket, and is limited to 500 copies.