Both the titles of the songs, such as Hello Monsanto, and the neutral artwork suggest that this EP could have some hard grimy tracks, possibly a politically saturated EP with a dark vibe. However it proves a total contrast; very soft and sparse with loads of room to breathe and an aerial washy feel. It is dreamy and easy to listen to while doing day-to-day tasks, as it has a super laid back vibe. Taipei Teahouse are Billy Mills and Kerry Coulshed, and the duo have created an EP which took me back to some early Minuit memories and also some highlights of Massive Attack.
It’s an electronic album, self-described as ‘indie-tronica’ with lots of hi-hat samples, sub bass lines and Coulshed as a vocalist adding some nice reccurring elements. Some tracks lean towards a Wellington downbeat feel with a lighter liveliness to it. As a lover of this genre perhaps the only thing I felt my ears were missing was some added drive in the beats, some crunchy dark grooves would add emphasis and break the songs up. It would also reflect the nature of the lyrics. The duo are currently studying music and there is a lot of care and preciseness in the production which is clean and not too heavily effected. I for one, am looking forward to see where they evolve musically as this release is a solid foundation.
