Black Turtleneck

Sure, a synth pop revival act may have been more of a novelty a few years back, but this duo aren’t interested in being a novelty, despite their Darkness-like band name and dedication to "the introspective black turtleneck set, working the day job in silent contempt.” Comprised of Solvent producer Jason Amm and vocalist Thomas Sinclair, they’ve been intermittently active since 2002 though this is their proper debut. Amms’ music combines complex beat structures and low-level club bleeps with nostalgic synthesisers, while Sinclair’s deadpan vocals sound like they’re coming from the other side of the pond and the other side of the millennium — a match succeeding most perfectly on the single "Discontinued Parts.” Aside from their titular piss-take, these ’80s babies are dead serious about their electro pop homage, ditching the usual ironic posturing in favour of a more reverent ride down Depeche Mode lane.