Drinking Electricity - Overload + Singles (2012)

There must be something in the waters off the West Coast of the US for electronic music. Josh Cheon’s Dark Entries resides in San Francisco while Troy Wadsworth’s Medical Records lives north in Seattle. Both labels have explored the undercurrents of 80s synth wave and electronics. Wadsworth’s Medical has clocked up an impressive stack of releases, including Guyers Connection, Alexander Robotnick, Der Plan and recently Gay Cat Park. The North West imprint has just taken the leap and released its first double LP. Drinking Electricity with Overload + Singles.

Strangely enough, Drinking Electricity hail from Edinburgh. I say strangely as Scotland’s capital has never had much of an electronic music culture, the antithesis of Glasgow. Drinking Electricity were active in the early 80s, releasing a spread of 7”s and an album between 80—82. Now their past is reborn. Clipped English vocals, strings, synths and a drum machine are the formula. Art school attitudes intertwined with a political commentary is at the group’s core. Synths swirl and snares pulsate on tracks like “Disco Dance.” Genres are investigated across the record. Post punk with ”Colour Coding” to racing analogue wave in “Breakout II.” There’s quite a playful element to the group, tracks like “Twilight Zone” mixing angst with a noodling synthesizer melody. That experimental edge runs into pieces such as “Random Particles 7.” Elements of Rock & Roll are stretched and reformed in “Shaking All Over.” Drinking Electricity spin out a spectrum of styles. Nothing remains the same. “Good Times” is one of the synth jewels on the album. A catchy hook is coupled with heady lyrics in this quality piece.

Twenty one tracks have been drawn together for Overload. The tracks vary in theme and in style. Drinking Electricity played with boundaries, prescribing to none. Electronics and Post-Punk are the central sounds, but a spread of influences (and an inherent quirk) give the group an individuality. An obscurity dusted down and given a second life by Mr. Wadsworth and Medical.