Post-Punk German Drangsal Releases Debut Single
The Cure, Bauhaus, Joy Division, and Echo & The Bunnymen are all part of what could be considered the post-punk canon. Everything about them, the dissonant sounds, zigzagging rhythms, and aesthetics have been replicated for decades, or at least attempts have been made.
Drangsal, the moniker of German-based indie-rock producer Max Gruber, makes music that is indebted to those early artists. This isn’t meant as an indictment against the originality of Drangsal, but more an appreciation of his ability to instantly evoke those bands.
Allan Align is the first single from Drangsal, ahead of the release of his debut album ‘Harieschaim’ due out Friday 22nd April. Guitars bounce and drift across the track thanks to the 80’s throwback chorus effects, while layered drum accents give the track a sense of urgency.
The track is coursing and intricate, the bells from an electric piano twinkle from behind the bass, which jumps around in a post-punk progression, all while existential lyrics are delivered with ‘Ian McCulloch-like’ enunciation.