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The Mystic Underground
The Nameless and the Faceless

Stereosonic Recordings

Posted: Friday, March 24, 2006
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor

When thinking about synthpop, New York is not usually the first city that comes to mind. However, the duo known as The Mystic Underground seems to be on a mission to change that with their new album, The Nameless and the Faceless. Drawing heavily from '80s new wave and synthpop, the band recalls the sounds of such bands as Duran Duran and Erasure; however, there is a healthy dose of trance and modern dance music thrown in as well, grounding the band's sound in the present and putting them on par with today's club heroes like And One and Icon of Coil. Throbbing beats meld with washes of electronic ambience a la Benedetto Socci's skillful programming and production skills, combined with Vladimir's soulful vocals. His voice sounds reminiscent of Simon LeBon of Duran Duran or even Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode, only without the deep British inflection. These songs are poised for the dance floor, but infused with catchy hooks and good melodies, showing the band's good sense of actual songwriting. "Your Trust in My Hands" probably best represents the trance elements of the band's music, starting the album off with layers of electronic waves, while a song like "Ammunition" just pulsates with enough energy to keep the clubs packed for just a few more hours a night. The band turns in a few slower moments as well, concentrating on emotion and lyrical content. This is especially true on "I Remember Everything," which almost sounds like a synthpopper's version of "November Rain." "I-1" is probably the best example of '80s love with its handclap drum patterns and orchestra hits. If you ever wanted to remember what techno used to sound like, this song will remind you. Closing things out is the 10-minute-long "How I Feel Inside (The Apology Song)," the band's epic lament. With its sweet melody and Vladimir's light vocals, it ends the album on an emotional highpoint. While the band offer very little that is unheard of in this genre, they seem more intent on delivering a good collection of songs that possess a sense of mass appeal but high on substance; no new ground is broken with The Nameless and the Faceless, which could be the album's only flaw. It does little to separate them from their European counterparts, but that does not hurt the music's charm either. The arrangements are cleverly produced, and the band actually manages to produce some fresh sounds out of their synthesizers (not an easy task in today's overly saturated market of synth-based music). The vocals are never too much or too little, adding just the right amount of effects to add depth to the lyrics and complementing the music. The Mystic Underground has produced a good album in The Nameless and the Faceless. If they stick to their guns and maintain this level of quality performance, they just might be poised to put a permanent American stamp on synthpop.