International Druglords and Преходъ Reviewed
International Druglords – SLUT CRUSH
Maybe there’s just not enough people left for the discos to stay open. And, certainly, while dark post-punk and moody goth-rock have their fans, they’re not enough to keep a bar open on a Friday night.
That’s the reason why in most of the big cities of Europe, which aren’t Berlin, a new kind of nightlife has emerged. It blends dance music, rock aggression and the subtle promise of sexual deviancy. It’s great, usually, with the exception of the people who actually buy tickets for it.
The regulars are not subtle in their intentions, too clever in their thinking, or people you’d like to meet in the cold light of morning. That’s why the music of International Druglords comes as a nice antidote.
“SLUT CRUSH” sounds just like the dark techno-rock music I was talking about. It’s sinister, danceable and meant to feel sexy. But, there’s also a good deal of confusion, mostly of a sexual nature, here. The lyrics sound written from the perspective of someone in love with others and at war with themselves. Finally, an interesting song from this area of music.
Преходъ – улици
Nobody cared until it became fashionable! Nobody bothered to show up until they saw it advertised in some magazine or on Instagram! And those are the reasons why Eastern European music, particularly the sounds belonging to Slavic countries, is so popular at the moment.
You’ve heard your dorky programming friend talking about their love for Sovietwave. And you’ve noticed your fashionista co-worker posting TikTok videos about decaying Eastern Bloc architecture. And while both those things are quite ridiculous, they’re offering a helping hand to artists like Преходъ who deserve it.
Listen, I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t visit the Balkans looking for Ingmar Bergman-like levels of stylish melancholy. In fact, when you hear “улици,” and start pulling at your heartstrings, you might find yourself on the first bus to Pleven. Преходъ have a very clever way of blending their interest in post-punk with the world’s current interest in urban Eastern Europe decay.
