Videogram - Test Subject 011

When making new entries into the oddly specific genre of classic synth horror soundtracks, it’s important to know one’s roots. When making new music in general, it’s also important to expand upon, and ultimately, abandon those roots in search of a new expression.

While I hear obvious acknowledgement of John Carpenter in this disco-driven mini EP, Videogram’s quest to emulate 80’s themes begins and ends without the spark of original composition. The beats don’t stop my heart, and the sampling is reminiscent of a forgettable rave compilation CD that might have lurked forgotten in the floorboard of my husband’s GEO Tracker once upon a time.

I give credit for the real strings and drums, but in these painfully brief interludes I hear only the barest outline of what is possible. Descending ladders of minor-key synth notes, looped over mildly different settings, are song fragments rather than whole songs. I’d like to see Videogram expand upon these themes; take risks on complex melodies and create whole soundscapes. That would be real art. In its current state, Test Subject 011 is a series of sketches done upon a napkin.
Sep 06 2017