Did you also spend your childhood days dreaming of all the concerts you were going to see and the eccentric characters that you were going to meet there? Most of us did. And what did you expect from these events that an innocent, pre-teenage version of yourself couldn’t get into? Surely, not people drinking cans of Coke underneath corporate sponsorship signs, merch stands and bands lip-syncing to their radio hits? None of us were.
Frankly, I was expecting something more exciting, hellish, a mirror held up to the underworld. To be honest, I was expecting to see on stage the kinds of people that could launch a revolution, start a cult, or become serial killers. I was expecting people like the ones responsible for Othering’s “Uptakes,” not a bunch of people who look like they do accounting in some office.
The mission of rambunctious Dallas duo Othering is the same as that of bands like MC5, Primal Scream, or A Place to Bury Strangers. On “Uptakes” this electro-infused alt-rock band tries to stir up chaos while making you dance, or, at least, move, to exhaustion.
It’s all a provocation. Opening track “Excess Self” feels like the soundtrack to a rave party held below ground, and where only those in-the-know are able to grant you access.
“Teaser Void” takes a hint from cold wave and industrial rock to produce the nihilist anthem that this era of uncertainty deserves. And, “Half Eyes” works with the kinds of programmed drums that should give any good sound system an unhealthy workout.
A good portion of this album calls to mind Trent Reznor’s early music and mission to create dark, ominous, sexy noise. Take a listen to the moody “It Could’ve Been Easy” for proof of that.
But the Dallas duo does possess a record collection, or, at the very least, a subscription to a varied array of playlists. There’s a good deal of influence taken from ’80s synth-pop and new wave. Take the album’s single “Fictional,” a collab with Sucio. Here, the floating synths give way to strong, hummable melodies.
The overdriven sound of tracks like “Is This Enough” fits Othering’s excessive nature. But listen to those synth riffs and tell me that this group wouldn’t fancy some OMD when nobody’s around to gather gossip? Or, would those who’ve heard A Flock of Seagulls really not find common ground with the closing track, “What You Want?”
Where does it leave us? Slightly intimidated and wanting more. “Uptakes” is the soundtrack to an over-the-top underground party. The music and presentation aren’t half-baked, half-done, or generally polite. Everything here is pushed to its breaking point, and that’s precisely what all of us who dreamed of rock bands have always wanted.
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