One always wonders what bands do for entertainment on those endless tour bus journeys from one city to another and Morten Bergeton Iversen has no doubt clocked up many a mile. Who you ask? Well you probably know him better as Teloch of Mayhem as well as many assorted other projects such as Nidingr, Teeth and Thorns, The Konsortium & Umoral to name but a few. Now he has unleashed a new one Bergeton the debut album of which was recorded a couple of years ago but due to hectic activities with Mayhem is only just getting a release now. So back to that question and it seems the answer is old games such as Hotline Miami on long dead but fondly remembered consoles such as the Commodore 64. To go with it and the title of the album I also have the idea that perhaps he also annoys his bandmates with reruns of cheese-laden 80’s dramas and cop shows set around fast cars, sultry women, flowery shirts, macho fights and shoot outs starring the likes of Tom Selleck and Dom Johnson. You can almost hear the cadaverous groans of annoyance coming from Attila, “please not again, anything else even Lords Of Chaos but give it a rest!” Well in case you hadn’t worked it out Bergeton are very much part of the new and resurrected popular Synthwave scene along with the likes of Carpenter Brut, Perturbator, Master Boot Record et al.
It’s good too and only a little on the cheesy side. Bergeton take things seriously it would seem and stoke up a good retro / futuristic soundscape or two in the process. ‘Arabian Night’s’ twists and turns, straight in with plenty of booming drum and bass sounds and pumping rhythms. I envisage the title being a large glittering neon-hued casino on the edge of the desert, perhaps a heist or a big drug deal is going down and the cops are waiting to pounce. What will they do while waiting, smoke big cigars, drink coffee and maybe boogie a bit? It’s infectious synth, the keyboard play, full of flamboyance and flair; it’s hard not to get up and bust some moves. ‘Depeche Load’ (great title) is a dark Knight Ride through deserted streets where speed limits are not a factor. The drum machine pumps out the beats and the music coasts away bristling with dark drama and jaunty keyboard flourishes. Everything here is electronic and it works well without the likes of guitar being needed to ramp things up. I don’t really play games myself but can imagine it being a good soundtrack for a futuristic driving one or even a film featuring a pissed off and pushed to the edge hobo with a shotgun. So, I went into this looking for a whiff of cheese and ‘Fort Apache Marina’ provides in ways that I doubt even Paul Newman envisaged. It’s that disco beat that does it recalling tracks like Lipps Inc classic Funky Town and even Chic’s Le Freak (apologies to anyone recalling these and getting them stuck in the head here). It’s mutant disco music baby, jettisoned down to earth by people with big flares and even bigger hair-styles; what’s not to like?
The eight tracks here never outstay their welcome so you can deal with the bite of cheese before moving on to the giallo-esque killer in black gloves stalk of Lambo sounding like its been lifted straight out of a Lamberto Bava movie where the maniac is deranged and it’s Claudio Simonetti ruling the roost. Watch out the detective is hot on heels, you can hear his car thundering down the expressway. Digital is no substitute and it is now one really needs to flip the wax and take in the slower sultry pulses of Miami Murder and imagine if Dario Argento had transposed Tenebrae to Florida; well that’s where my head is at. Where next? Is ‘Natasha – KGB’ trying to thwart and alien invasion, are they “among us?” Spacey, sinister and cold-war paranoia merge together via tinkling keys and creepy beats. Then it’s time for another unfortunate encounter as ‘The Demon’ bursts through the TV screen claws slashing and spreading infection turning everyone into slathering, ravenous beasts. Creepy and very futuristic some electronic vocals relay a message and things move to a lurching meltdown as machines left to their own devices start to run amok. It’s left for the ‘Valley Of Death’ to conclude things for those hiding out and trying to survive this strange new world. Will they make it, only the listeners imagination can answer that one or possibly Teloch himself with his own tales that he envisaged to match his music.
Whatever way you look at it this is great fun and should be taken seriously as anything that the progenitors of Synthwave envisaged. Miami Murder has taken me on a 35-minute rollercoaster ride that I can see being one to pleasurably undertake time and time again. Perhaps all the live downtime right now could get him back recording some more…
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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