- The crew behind Dresden label Uncanny Valley has musical interests extending well beyond straightforward club tracks. You'll find flecks of disco and hip-hop splattered across their 30-odd releases, and Shtum—said to be their techno sub-label—is hardly in the business of releasing obvious bangers. So it's no surprise that their Rat Life offshoot, whose insignia features the motto "tools for the working DJ," released an excellent post-punk EP. It would almost be weirder if they didn't.
Every Mauser & Browning looks to be The Pagan Rites only release so far, and other than the fact that the band is from Sweden and the material on this EP dates from 2008 to 2013, information is scarce. What's abundant, however, is the nuance they wring from the vintage template. The title cut pits nervous, atmospheric drumming against a growl of synth bass, shimmering guitar chords and vocals that sound bored by their own brattiness. The combination would verge on pastiche if it weren't so incisive. On "Track 03," the band burrows deeper into this ruminative vibe, with bass and guitar lines walking circles around each other. If the A-side, to borrow some rock critic nomenclature, is angular, then the flip is its jangly counterpart, at least at first. "Torpedo Ahead" features guitar work plucked from Orange Juice—a bright spot in an otherwise moody, brittle arrangement. For its final act, the EP swerves into oblivion on "Call Forth," a bleak ambient composition where now-familiar vocals reduce to a low moan. "Smoke and ruins, dust and ashes," goes a line from "Track 03," and it's a pretty good description of where The Pagan Rites ends up.
TracklistA1 Every Mauser & Browning
A2 Track 03
B1 Torpedo Ahead
B2 Call Forth