Batavia - Ann D Us

Batavia is one of those rare bands within the dark electronic, goth, and experimental field as they stick to that philosophy. They don’t look at music and confine themselves to a box, but look outward and surprise with each and every single song they produce. Just looking back at their previous album “Mythos”, the duo of Terri and Ed Cripps attacked goth, post-punk, EBM, noise rock, a bit of neoclassic, industrial rock, and so much more. Their latest single ‘Ann D Us’ continues to follow in that trend as they looked to minimalism. Quoting Ed Cripps, he stated, “We had an idea of making goth-rock and confining ourselves to a limited amount of tech and making something that is more minimalist and open than what we usually produce. We did a fair bit of research in trying to figure out what tech was used by The Doors during LA Woman, and tried to build an emulation of the console and recording methods used. No specific reason, other than we really like how that album sounds.”

He further went on to explain that there’s a bit of influence from R&B, which makes ‘Ann D Us’ a very primitive trip-hop song. Which I can definitely hear. The moody, low bass guitar that provides just enough grief paired with the somewhat bluesy reverbing synths gave it that edge. Slow drums accent the song, as Terri breathes life into it with her ever serene vocals, switching from slow and pained chorus to powerful and emotive verse.  Attached onto the single is an in-house remix of the track which should please DJs. Bouncy, danceable; it turns the song into a darkwave dance piece that I enjoy slightly more than the original.

Batavia strikes again and sends the ball flying. An easy seven-and-a-half out of ten and a song that’s finding a way onto my personal playlist.