Survive LLR002

Texas synth kids Survive totally blew me away with their first 7” a while back, with its B-side ‘Part Tiger’ boasting a right-to-the-limits Moroder-esque synth workout which is gleeful and satisfying and totally worth hearing. Then they put out an LP where they dropped the pace a bit and concentrated more on brooding Carpenter-esque cinematic darkness, also to good effect but to my ears a little plodding in places. Now we’ve got their very first release, a 10” EP, a last box of which have emerged from label Light Lodge Records from the second pressing of 150. Once these are gone I can’t see it coming back.

I had a hard time figuring out if this played at 33 or 45, so I’ve opted tentatively for 45 but it sounds good slower too. Their bright layers of synth and relentless arpeggios along with a few cheekily buzzing melodies high in the mix are present and correct. I do like the live synth band formula but it’s nice to see these lads refining their sound from release to release. I’m not sure there’s anything here as exciting as the 7” but you can tell even from these early recordings that they’re still heading in the right direction - falling somewhere between Apparat Organ Quartet, Zombi and fellow Texan Kosmonaut. If you’re into synths you should probably buy it while it’s here.