Gangbangsters - In Decent Company

Hear The Track Here

'Harsh yet subtle experimental electronic rock' is what Hollywood CA based Gangbangsters promise on their Soundclick page which I found a bit misleading. Truth is that the last (and first) Gangbangsters track I reviewed - Shoelaces (September 2008) - was in fact a rough but ready rap/hiphop mashup that I would generally associate with gangbanging and California come to that. I did say at the time that you would have to work at it to overcome the roughness of the sound but that when you did, there is something there to find. To late now though because the track no longers seems to be on Soundclick and hopefully not because of the review I gave it because I have - believe me when I say this - heard much, much worse.

In Decent Company is much more what I would have expected from the description of their music and one that shows that this is NOT just some hip hop rap wannabee. The glimpse that Shoelaces gave me of what this artist could be capable of is fully borne out with this track - albeit with some of the same flaws that dogged the previous track. Mind you, we are all in some way constrained by the equipment we have for making music and - wherever possible - I really do try and take that into account. In Decent Company is billed as Electronica: Experimental and I'd say this time it justly rates that classification. Not, therefore, a track you will be able to assimilate in a play or two but something to play whenever the urge takes you.

When you see a musician citing influences as diverse as Daft Punk, Black Flag, Joy Division and the Velvet Underground, you can bet that the resulting musical style is going to be somewhat diverse too. I came away from reviewing Shoelaces feeling torn between two points, agitated by the poorness of the overall sound by definitely intrigued by the blend of styles Gangbangsters mashed together. This time I think I was ready for the roughness of sound and the imagination of the musician. As such, I have to admit that In Decent Company made a much better impression on me and in continued playing became something I looked forward to hearing. Whatever you might think about the roughness of the sound, this is a musician who is not content to stay within one genre - and you just got to love that. All they need now is a higher production sound and Gangbangsters are going to be a force to be reckoned because In Decent Company is a hell of a track whatever you might think about how its put together.

Highly Recommended electronica blitz.