Les Techno
Flowers For Dystopia
(Solid Bass Records)
New York City-based “post-punk electronic rocker,†Les Techno presents his Flowers For Dystopia debut. The title track kicks things off, with it’s slappin’ beat, guitar flicks and Les as much letting us know that we are “living dead†as that he wants us close in this funk. “Eye on You,†with its western-strut acoustic and slicing electric works even better for me; Les’s loose range tangle of a vocal lending itself into this snaky little sexy tune.
“Is It Real†is slightly different than what comes before it—welcomed at the halfway mark here—the beat is a bit more complicated, and the electronica dance bleeps and bloops gives me a Duran Duran feel. The shouted title-for-chorus keeps things from smashing open into what I felt could have been a big dance tune just on the horizon. Smart songwriting here, and one of the highlights of Flowers for Dystopia.
“Come Along,†has a very cool wry lyric, with Les wailing rather perfectly over his funk bass and heavy snare. Like all the rest, this is a simple tune with a solid layering of instruments, beat, and singing, but the bass here really moves things, and Les’s vocal is tops.
Second to last tune, “Where Were You,†kicks ass. Les is flying a single guitar line over the chorus (getting his Gary Newman on), and driving the verses with his bass and nasty almost-talk vocal. This is the best tune here, the perfect mix of all Les is about on this album…and more. And again, he knows just when and where (and how) to wail. Les Techno’s Flowers for Dystopia is a ten-song collection of some interesting songwriting, very good guitar playing and a true vision.
