SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DATAROCK – MEDIA CONSUMPTION PYRAMID

DATAROCK
MEDIA CONSUMPTION PYRAMID
YAP RECORDS

DATAROCK formed in 2000 in Bergen, Norway and their debut album was released in 2003 (Datarock Datarock). Media Consumption Pyramid is their sixth studio album and their first since 2018’s Face The Brutality.

Media Consumption Pyramid is very melodic electronica, in some ways a cross between Daft Punk and Kraftwerk. The vocals are somewhat 1980s-based, but when everything is combined, it sounds great. The music is very interesting and creates a very distinct mood; danceable and yet a little dark. The album opens with “Armadillo Pt. 2”, which is a strong opener. Part one is further on the album, and it is amusing that the second part would be the opener. Perhaps this indicates it can be listened to in any order? It is followed by the very commercial and appealing “Heart Shaped Circle (feat. Penetra Schön)” It has the sound of  a 90s take on an 1980s track. It is quite good.

Perhaps the most interesting track on the album is a bonus track, “Double Vision”. It is a hard-driving electro dance song that incorporates rap, remixed by The Chemical Brothers’ producer Steve Dub. Interestingly, it is not available on streaming. “Metaverse” is another interesting song. The use of altered vocals and audio clips makes this song more experimental than others. It also demonstrates their ability to be extremely creative while still maintaining a pleasing sound. “Wake up real world” they chant. It is a highlight on the album.

“Rabbit Hole” adds a very different sound to the album as well. Borrowing from Talking Heads, it is much funkier than others here and is very welcome among the electronic dance/pop music. They were very smart to add a song such as this, which makes the listening experience much more interesting. The song also cries out for remixes, and could be a huge dancefloor hit for the band. “DISCObedience” adds a great deal to the mix with its great guitar instrumentation in the opening.

Media Consumption Pyramid is a very strong album, full of great songs. It is a fine album to listen and dance to. Lyrically, they bring a lot to the table and they do a good job of mixing somewhat heavy lyrics among the dance songs. They have a clear idea of how they want to sound and succeed. There is a lot going on here, and as a result the album is intriguing.

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