Speedy Wunderground has been one of my favorite record labels as of recent. The entire concept was where UK record producer Dan Carey takes an artist or band and creates a one-off single with them in a single day. With this and his other work with bands such as Fontaines D.C., Dan Carey has been a major force in the revival of post-punk and experimental rock in the music scene. Some notable artists that had their start with Speedy Wunderground are Squid, black midi, Black Country, New Road, and PVA. Following their Speedy Wunderground singles, Squid has released an EP and multiple singles, black midi released Schlagenheim, and Black Country, New Road released the 9 minute epic “Sunglasses” and are soon to release their debut record entitled For the First Time. Since PVA was one of the last singles to be released from the SW label right before the major outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, it took them some time to get another project out there. Toner is a 3 track EP with an additional 3 remixes with the assistance of UK producer Mura Masa, Lynks, and Daniel Fox of the post-punk band Girl Band. Throughout the 3 tracks, the group takes what made their Speedy Wunderground single great and expands on the danceability as well as creating a throwback to 80s new wave in the process.
The EP begins with “Talks”, a laid back but groovy and funky dance-punk track. Josh Baxter and Ella Harris both take on vocal duty, but instead of it being a duet, they use their voices as vocal layers with Josh Baxter being the low voice and Ella Harris contrasting it with her higher voice. Their monotone performance on the track flows well through the plucky synths and the guitar riffs that make sure to keep the dance floor moving. “Sleek Form” is a bit more on the aggressive side in comparison to “Talks” which is built off of a dark and grimy bassline and moody synthesizers throughout the track. The track’s ominous tone is assisted by Ella Harris’s cynical vocal performance. The EP closes with “Exhaust/Surroundings” which is another dark and moody track but with a larger house influence than before as well as half the track being an outro with evolving synths and drums. The first half is a dreamy new wave song similar to the style of Duran Duran minus the passionate vocals. The second half has a heavy synth line that progresses as the song comes to a close with an outro that is reminiscent of Talking Heads.
For the remixes, Mura Masa doubles down on the dance-punk for “Talks” and creates a more electronic-based track compared to the original. The Lynks remix, on the other hand, removes the fun and creates a more mysterious and hollower version of the original where the vocals echo in the background and are accompanied by a light synthesizer. For Daniel Fox’s remix of “Exhaust/Surroundings”, he takes almost all of the original elements of the song and turns the moodiness and harshness of the original to create a 7-minute industrial and tech-house remix of the original.
PVA has been able to display more than a single to showcase their talent, and I hope to hear more from them in the future.
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