When you’ve got as unique a sound as Elektragaaz’s, it can be difficult to fit all of the monolithic power of your music into a single disc, but even with that being the case for most artists, the underground band still manages to pull off such a feat in their new EP Your Own Private Cinema Part 1. Your Own Private Cinema Part 1’s tracklist is a testament to this crew’s organic chemistry, and what they can accomplish when there aren’t any stylistic parameters to get in their way. Songs like “Things Take a Turn” and “The Cheerful Dead” aren’t the easiest to categorize into standard genres; they create a hybrid of styles that give birth to a sound that is truly Elektragaaz’s alone.
The style of attack that the band utilizes in “Dancing a Little Tipsy with Shorty” is straightforward and unfanciful, but the molasses-like melodies that Elektragaaz conjure up in their play are hardly ordinary. There’s a touch of escapism buried in all of the divine overdrive and reverb, and while the groove is crisp and clear in the mix, it isn’t giving us the full story of the narrative in this song at all. Like “We May Die But We Will Not Rust,” “Dancing a Little Tipsy with Shorty” is marred in creative duality, making it an involved listen that requires the full attention of its audience to fully appreciate its elaborate structure. It’s highbrow pop if there ever was such a thing, and for certain fans, it goes without comparison in modern rock.
This master mix is really carefully constructed, but it isn’t without a little bit of sexy abrasiveness now and again (i.e. “We May Die But We Will Not Rust,” “Lady Hannah Fights the Red Demon”). There isn’t a second of Your Own Private Cinema Part 1 that isn’t muscular and wholly tangible, especially in comparison to the mostly-lifeless indie pop that I’ve been reviewing lately. If Elektragaaz’s theatrical presence translates well in their live shows, then this new setlist is going to bring them a lot more love from the packed clubs they play on the road. “Lady Hannah Fights the Red Demon” has the bones of an extended jam that was simplified for this EP, and my gut tells me that when it’s given the proper venue to stretch its sonic legs, it has the potential to bring the entire house down with the bludgeon of its thick bassline.
If you haven’t listened to Elektragaaz before Your Own Private Cinema Part 1, I can tell you that now is the best time to start, as this latest studio offering is the most robust record to see widespread release under the group’s zany moniker. These guys are still unknown to a lot of listeners outside of the underground, but there’s something slick about this extended play that I think will appeal to unfamiliar fans more than their work did in years past. They’re on the right track with this sound, and once we hear the sequels, I’m certain that we’ll be able to decide for sure just how far Elektragaaz can go with their experimental style of pop music.
Chadwick Easton