About Stefan Halley
Location: Malmo, Sweden
Occupation: Editor-in-Chief
Bio: Stefan has been writing reviews for seven years and started Pop Syndicate out of need to voice his mis-guided opinion.
Posts: 719
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Put on your dancing shoes, Temposhark is here to shake things up.
New CDs land on my desk all the time and most of the time, I’m not sure what to expect when I put in one from an unknown band. More often than not, I’m not impressed by what I hear, but occasionally something interesting pops up. The 80’s continue to return with synth heavy Temposhark. The London based quartet has been a fan favorite for a few years in the U.K., and with their debut CD, The Invisible Line, they are looking to make inroads into the U.S.
Fans of Depeche Mode, Placebo, Pet Shop Boys and Imogen Heap will instantly fall in love with Temposhark. Their heavy use of synthesizer and digital beats will have bodies on the dance floors and feet tapping in living rooms. Comprised of Robert Diament on vocals, Luke Busby on synths, Mark Ferguson on bass and Mathis Richet on drums, the band sounds well polished and ready for mass consumption. They have a good shot at making it beyond the dance floors and onto radios everywhere.
Instead of leading off with a heavy hitting dance track, The Invisible Line opens with a string heavy driving number about an egomaniac looking to get ahead. “I’ve come, It’s been fun/But won’t you please disappear?/Something tells me that you can’t further my career.” It’s a common sentiment expressed by people racing to get to the top but rarely heard on records. Temposhark bring out the dance floor beats with the second track “Joy”. It sucks you in and it’s almost impossible to not want to dance to. They are joined by Imogen Heap on “Not That Big”. Her big operatic sound lends itself perfectly to the melodrama of lyrics of a couple after the break up.
“Crime” sounds like early Depeche Mode with heavy bass beats. The closing track “Winter’s Coming” is a down beat somber affair. It’s a big electronic ballad with special bonus track tucked away at the end. It’s like having a wafer thin mint after a big meal, short but satisfying.
Temposhark may have an unusual name but they’ve got what counts, a solid musical style with infectious beats. Robert Diament’s light vocals keep the album from getting bogged down in the morose lyrics. They’ve conquered the club scene in the U.K. now it’s their time to show America what their all about.
