Review: Flange Circus - Overexposed EP

At the beginning of the year I reviewed an EP by a bunch of mancunian reprobates by the name of Flange Circus. The Ekranoplan EP was an intoxicating mix of styles, taking in krautrock, retro electronics and hauntology. I'm pleased to report that Flange Circus have just released a new EP - 'Overexposed' - and it's another winner!

'Overexposed' develops many of the themes heard on 'Ekranoplan' and pushes their boundaries a bit further 'out there'. First track 'Fabric Lughole Systems' starts like a psytrance track; some wobbly synth lines and electronic percussion until some retro seventies electronica kicks in over some heavy beats - it's like the BBC Radiophonic Workshop having it large in Ibiza. The synths are sumptuous, straight out of the Klaus Schulze school of Kraut. The track rattles along happy in it's own psychotic world, oblivious to what's happening in reality.

'FAT CRAB' (seriously, what are these guys on?)is a whole different kettle of fish....the driving guitars of Hawkwind underpinned by some groovy organ work immediately giving it a wholesome space rock feel. Sporadic vocals intone the titular phrase at various junctures, but the focus is on the swirling organ and the chugging guitar...it really is like being back in the seventies...not a bad thing at all.

'Leopard Skin In Miniature' sounds at first like a straightforward rock song, but obviously this is Flange Circus and so nothing is straightforward...some vaguely unsettling Russian spoken word leads into some electronica straight out of the eighties giving the track a new wave-ish feel. The muted vocals add to this effect, like something from an early Mute release. Towards the end of the track it mutates into another Tangerine Dream like soundscape....what sounds like wind and rain over some lovely krauty synths.

'Disko Bay' is the longest track on the EP, clocking in at 9.38 and is probably my favourite track. Another track redolent of an electronic genius, in this case Vangelis. The opening moments would fit in nicely to the 'Bladerunner' soundtrack (high praise indeed). It is simply soaked in atmosphere and weighs heavy with tension. The synths are joined by some mournful strings and a simple bass line resulting in a track that seems to deny the playfulness of the preceeding 3 tracks, but I think that that is one of it's strengths....the juxtaposition of some mad humour with a reflective, inward-looking track such as 'Disko Bay' demands attention from the listener. The violins disappear to be replaced by a heavy, slow beat and a simple, and yet beautiful, piano refrain that brings Godspeed! YBE to mind. Beautiful, beautiful track.

On listening to the EP a number of times, my biggest concern was deciding whether these guys are clinically insane or geniuses, but, whichever, they have produced another EP of infinite variety and style. 'Overexposed' is another triumph and all for the princely sum of £2.50 over at the band's bandcamp page...you know it makes sense...