Kosmetika Illustration LP
Melbourne-based art-punk/new wave band that bends the genres to their will, blending industrial noise with shambling dream pop that’s gone goth, maybe? Vocals are sung half in English and half in Russian, Veeka Nazarova’s native language, the harsh Slavic nature of which adds to the angular and industrial sound of the tracks. Fans of obscure ’80s new wave/darkwave/no wave will like this. I hear similarities to STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE in pop-driven songs like “Eighty Four,” or to contemporaries DELIVERY (who I reviewed a while back). On the other hand, the two opening tracks “Strawberry Needles” and “Psycho TV” remind me of—and I’m sure this is a stretch—the clamoring FOETUS, with noisy and experimental brushes throughout. This just came out in April, so if any of this interests you, get your copy of the limited pressing before it’s gone.