Bombay 1 "Me Like You" (CD)

Released to critical acclaim in their native Germany ME LIKE YOU is the sound of turbulence. A journey, in which, the listener is forced to adopt the brace position and prepare for impact, rather than just recline and watch the in-flight movie. It is an intense and ominous experience in which Pyrolator's impeccable production creates a haunting atmospheric in which only Stoya's stark and subversive poetry could feel comfortable. In this dark asylum, the vocals have an eccentric edge that at times borders on the manic, as a consequence Bombay 1 are instantly identifiable from bands of a similar vein.

The very first takes for "Me Like You" showed Pyrolator and Stoya that their work would have to take a new direction. The increasingly arbitrary and indifferent nature of an ever more complex and problematical reality confronted them with a trend prompting a clear call to action. They were obliged to think over the positions they took and the parts they played, and very soon arrived at the only possible conclusion: the party is over. The kissing has to stop. From now on, you must take a stand. No more self-referential speculations, because you have to be anchored in the reality of the Twin Towers and the ruins of modern times. The time for (re-)politicization had surely come!

The question was simply how; after all, they had no plans for anything like agitprop. Almost 25 years ago, Pyrolator had succeeded in making a protest album, his first solo disc "Inland", with no words at all - and Stoya is not the sort of person to spend his time explaining or putting people right, let alone giving them moral lectures. His lyrics remain personal, immediate and poetic, even if they are there to open the dialogue, get an audience and keep pointing to the outside world. But the critical change with Bombay 1 was with their music. That is what is intended to shake people up, disorientate them, and open up new perspectives, and they have found a brilliant way to do just that. By building in a specific rock aesthetic, Stoya and Pyrolator have forged an effective instrument to take them to their goal: clarity and directness. In other words, they are going back to tried and tested expressive devices that are neither "retro" nor "old school" in sound - given the nature of both electronics and their own biographies. The idea is not to write a new chapter in the history of rock, because rock as such is an insignificant reference for either of them; the point is to use the sounds of guitar, bass and drums. True, their sounds represent no more than the raw material for extensive manipulation and intensive sonic research. Even Stoya's voice is often distorted: an apt commentary on an impressively emotional record, a record that challenges private certainties with political imperatives, freely reveals discontent, anger and disappointment, and at the same time holds on tight to the wish for change.
This is a record that calls upon listeners to take a clear stand: on it, on the world, on themselves. The time for taking things as they come is over; the old Utopias have had their day. But even if the message of "Me Like You" is not altogether an optimistic one and yesterday's tomorrow has turned out to be a bad joke - the conclusion is not "No Future", just "The future is stupid". The only question is how the present can be taught to learn. Certainly not by eliminating visions and dreams.

" Hazy Soundscapes, industrial dope beats, neopsychodelia, noise pop or trip hop? Every category and no category suits this music of Bombay One. But one thing is for sure, 'this record rocks'." Musikexpress

“… the imagery and other worldliness of Syd Barret as interpreted by a glimlet- eyed Trent Reznor.”
LOGO Magazine

“…a hardcore agitprop rock ‘n’ roll sound”
Bang Magazine

"a concept which is comparable to Pink Floyds 'The Wall'."
soundbase-online.com


Released on Groenland, now availible in our mailorder.