Tobias Bernstrup
1984 EP
Enfant Terrible
Cheesy enough to make into fondue, there's nary an original moment on Tobias Bernstrup's newest EP, "1984". However Bernstrup is too busy getting listeners off their butts to worry about a silly thing like originality -- and darn it if he won't have a sweaty dance floor as his reward. Cleverly marrying a grab bag of the spandex-generation's influences (Depeche Mode, Joy Division, anyone who's ever played with the sample function on a synthesizer), to the lighter hand of modern electro-goth, and just a splash of self-awareness (I hope), "1984" comes off as a deliciously melodramatic trifle. Heck, the titular track does warn, "We're in 1984." Don't lie -- you've still got your "Members Only" jacket. Right?
The key word here is melodramatic. From Bernstrup's Bela Lugosi vocals layered over relentlessly driving synths (every good synth is in want of an "ohhh-ohhh oh oh" refrain) to titles such as "Light years apart" and "Enemies of the Earth" there's little here to suggest that less is more. Again, it's nothing we haven't heard, but like "B" horror flicks, this represents a brilliant rehash of classically campy 1980s sound. The only offender is "Data love", its spoken chorus coming close to collapse under self-parody. However, positioned as a closing track, it's too late for ardent complaints -- Bernstrup has already sucked you into his neon-clad world. Grab me a Fresca, let's hit the floor.
- Laura Studarus
