SEABOUND POISONOUS FRIEND EP EP DEPENDENT (EUROPE), METROPOLIS (USA) RELEASE: APRIL 26, 2004 (EUROPE), MAY 4, 2004 (USA) REVIEW: APRIL 30, 2004

I guess Seabound is part of the pretty stale futurepop movement - even though they lean towards synthpop. But they manage to get ahead of the game thanks to interesting ideas, lyrics, more intricate programming and by having a sense for melody. The title track of this EP is pulled from their latest album “Beyond Flatline”, and of course the EP contains the obligatory array of remixes.
The big difference from most EP:s of this ilk is that all the mixes are great! Haujobb almost always manage to surprise me with their mixes, and the version of “Watching over You” is no exception, with its laidback, r’n’b-like beats. Cut.rate.box’s mix of “Contact” is a dancefloor killer of high magnitude, erupting into frantic bass and frenetic rhythms after a slow start. Stromkern makes “Transformer” even catchier, Olaf Wollschläger lends his great producer ear to “Poisonous Friend” to secure the club rotation, and the same song is remixed in a somewhat restrained fashion by my synthpop darlings Iris, mostly by changing the bassline and drums. Interestingly enough, "Poisonous Friend" is also mixed by old band Severed Heads, returning to the scene with a stomping dance version. Nothing that earthshattering, and Olaf still does it best.
Two new songs can be found as well, and both could easily have fitted on the album. I particularly like “Without You” with its fabulous synthhooks.

JOHAN CARLSSON