Published by Davide Pappalardo on December 3, 2018
Cardinal And Nun is a new neo-EBM/synth-noise project hailing from Marseille, France. Its sound is abrasive, pounding and hypnotizing, showcasing old-school vocals fulls of reverb, obsessive kick drums, throbbing bass-lines and speedy snares. The project debuts with Confession, a 4-track cassette released on the Portuguese/Dutch independent label Eye For An Eye Recordings. Here we will find the aforementioned elements, in a frantic and stark soundscape full of action and caustic motifs.
Your bones is an harsh affair with distorted kicks and crawling snare drums, upon which violent vocals and menacing lines are layered. The minimal structure showcases a militant vibe with droning patterns and rigid rhythms, and the track is underlined by noisy sounds. Murder on a saturday is a marching techno/EBM piece with robotic rhythmic passages and sharp sounds. During the second half of the episode, evocative synths enrich the punk attitude here displayed, keeping things abrasive and ferocious.
No reason starts with distorted noisescapes, then it evolves into a rhythmic EBM number full of obsessive loops, stomping beats, and the usual militant vocals. Horn sounds complete the songwriting, keeping a brooding and dangerous atmosphere, and during the second half the tension grows. Tu peux crier ends the cassette with minimal wave vibes and more controlled rhythms, showing another side of the project, even displaying melancholic, yet sharp, elements. We can find similarities with French coldwave here, reminding us of the 80’s underground scene.
An interesting debut perfectly in line with the current EBM/synth movement, employing harsh sounds, militant rhythms, antagonistic vocals, and simple but effective rhythmic patterns. Cardinal And Nun is for sure a new name to follow closely: it promises further attacks and obsessions in the future, but at the same time the last track makes us think that there will be more to its music.
Label: Eye For An Eye Recordings
Rating: 7