Soccer96 return with new EP on Moshi Moshi Records. Soccer96 is the revered synth and drums duo of Danalogue [Dan Leavers] and Betamax [Max Hallett], who are most known as being two thirds of Mercury nominated band The Comet Is Coming. This release sees Soccer96 expand on their duo template as they are joined by the entirely original Alabaster DePlume on vocals and Total Refreshment Centre’s head engineer Kristian Craig Robinson AKA ‘Capitol K’ on bass, who also engineered the recordings. These new collaborations were born out of spontaneity. Having produced Alabaster’s LP The Corner of a Sphere Danalogue and Alabaster found a lot of unexpected common ground, in composition, politics and heady late-night jams. They would often find themselves on similar festival bills, where Alabaster would be invited to jump on stage and recite one of his poems over a fiery improvisation. The lyrics were the same, but Alabaster’s delivery was supercharged, direct and pulsing with rhythm. It was clear that this had to be chronicled. Tactics sees Danalogue and Betamax transmit impassioned and motoric synth-scapes over infectious beats and celestial dance. Built out of the raw energy of their improvisations, the band instil adrenaline into every track combining intricate synth riffing with wall of sound atmospherics and a fiery rhythm section. A delicate balance of dark and light, heavy and danceable, the expansion from duo to quartet on this EP also sees Soccer96 resituate itself within the vast musical universe that exists across their previous recordings and other projects. Alabaster’s lyrics carry the voice of a disaffected generation. Responding in the moment, his vocal performances provide an acerbic and sardonic take on the hypocrisies of the leftist ideal against the backdrop of mass consumerism, manipulation of the media, the rise of fascism across Europe and the failings of humans in general. In an era of battling ideologies, Soccer96 are a propellant for Alabaster’s philosophical and topical poetry, amplifying these messages and providing a platform to extend their reach to new audiences.
