DE/VISION POPGEFAHR ALBUM POPGEFAHR, SOUND POLLUTION RELEASE: MARCH 19, 2010 REVIEW: MARCH 30, 2010

Ever since De/Vision put a demo-version of "Try to Forget" on the Swedish compilation "Autumn Leaves", they have had a faithful fan in yours truly. They were favourites all through the nineties until they ventured into uncharted territory with "Void" in 1999. Their albums have since then always suffered from a nagging inconsistency, resulting in both glorious highlights and disappointing dips into boredom.

"Popgefahr", the first release on their own new label with the same name, sees the focus return to Steffen Keth and Thomas Adam. Backed only by electronics, it seems the dynamic duo have found their strengths yet again. From the insightful lyrics of "Mandroids" to the emotional electro ballad "Until the End of Time", De/Vision maintain their synthpop trademarks to create one of the best albums of their career. Their mellow, emotionally charged, ballads have always worked beautifully and continue to do so here, mainly displayed by "What's Love All About", building an ambient bridge between more the club friendly "Rage" and the album highlight "Time to Be Alive".

"Popgefahr" will silence most of the doubters (including myself) and re-introduce a synthpop band that was part of the genre's elite in the nineties.

NIKLAS FORSBERG