Gang Gang Dance

Judging by this three-track EP, the band’s first release since their 2005 debut, they’re headed in the right direction. After releasing a DVD this summer, which was little more than a compilation of shots from their various tours cut with psychedelic inkblot images, Rawwar suggests their sound has developed from the distinctly tribal to something more melodic and electronic. "Nicoman,” a track featured in their live shows, gets the studio treatment and comes off as polished and progressive. Featuring a building orchestral sound, frantic keyboards and guitars that, at times, verge on pop, the track refines their wild beats to something more sophisticated. The middle track, "Oxygen Demo Riddim,” is a Casio-driven number with heavy bass chords that would fit in on any of the latest electro albums. The band get back to their roots with near-epic "The Earthquake That Frees Prisons,” the EP’s closer, which opens with new age keyboards before moving into territory synonymous with the band’s past, infusing the sounds of modern technology with a tribal essence in what becomes a 21st century hymn.