Programmique - "A Reintroduction to Programmique"

Late last year, the band Static Static changed their name to Programmique, and subsequently released a killer EP called A New Kind Of Waste.  About halfway into 2020, and after almost two months shuttered inside our homes, the Brooklyn trio shared their second EP on May 1st, a skittish four-song sprawl entitled A Reintroduction To Programmique. It’s appropriately titled, as you’ll find much of the same furious energy, rhythmic tension, and surrealist imagery that made their first effort a worthwhile and enthralling listen.

Programmique’s self-described “anachro-disco” sound blends the rhythm-centric post-punk of U.K. bands like Wire and Magazine with the blunt dissonance of New York no-wave acts like The Contortions and Lydia Lunch. You’ll feel the urge to dance, but their captivating, concept-driven establishment critiquing words will get you thinking. The EP kicks off with a jolt, which travels through the muscular bass line of “Six Hours.” The band deftly utilizes the lower end of the sonic spectrum with driving, cyclical rhythms on “Six Hours” which morphs into a groove that almost mimics the sound of an engine revving on “Mississippi.” Both songs also feature a pulsing and halting sing-speak vocal delivery with lyrics that sound like they were born from the mouth of Allen Ginsburg on an East Village street corner. The third track, “AC Ramam” is a bit more frantic, moving briskly with a prickly swirl of guitar sounds and distortion as the word “Elvesett,” which is Hungarian for “gone,” is repeated and mixed with other semi-muffled lines like “Do you feel lost?” Their search for meaning eventually leads them to the EP’s final track, “General Information,” a manifesto-styled spoken word song. Here, the band spills their musings, conveying a list of demands from “the party leaders of Programmique” that includes “automation,” and “concentration.” Simply put, this is art-punk at its finest - a biting four song collection that incorporates a highly conceptualized and cohesive message.

You can purchase A Reintroduction To Programmique on Bandcamp. You can also stream it on Spotify.