With an intro which evokes ‘40s nostalgia via static-decorated radio samples of blues before breaking into a news broadcast running a narrative of WW2, the debut single, A Portrait in a Broken Mirror, from the enigma of an artist, Teo, certainly makes its mark.
After three minutes of reliving the atrocities of the Second World War, Teo cinematically brings in their harsh electronica sonic signature, which dominates the middle ground of happy hardcore and industrial in a similar vein to Otto Von Schirach’s monolithic sonic manifestos. Taking a break from the high-octane motifs, the single starts to traverse an eerie and ethereal atmosphere before the rancour comes back in full juggernautical swing.
Even though I’m usually all for uninhibited experimentalism, an 18-minute debut single, which pays little mind to listener accessibility, is hard to paint as one triumphant in its innovation.
A Portrait of a Broken Mirror hit the airwaves on September 6th; stream it on Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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