Has the whole of Down Under fallen under the spell of 80s-dancefloor? At least, this seems to be the case for a vast majority of musicians, take for instance the latest psych-disco-records by Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra Now, Silicon has taken the same line, and even more rigorously so. Of course, the alias conceals no other than Kody Nielson. He’s the brother of Ruban Nielson, a member of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and their latest record »Multi Love« was co-produced by – surprise! – Kody Nielson. What’s not surprising is that his sound-signature is even stronger on »Personal Computer«. Kraftwerk meets soft rock; funky retro-disco is being united with r’n’b and dream-pop, while empathetic falsetto ranges fall in love with dry staccato beats. The outcome is nothing less than Nielson’s very own kind of vintage electronica, melancholic and unobtrusive, yet charming and even humorous (as shown on »Little Dancing Baby«). The concept that Kody Nielson tried to follow on this 10-track-album is an obvious one when looking at the record’s title and tracks like »Cellphone« or »God Emoji«, not to forget the art work consisting of 29 paintings from Nielson’s icon-series (yes, he can paint, too). In addition, even Radiohead’s computer voice from »Fitter, Happier« is being used. And still, all these hints are somewhat unnecessary, considering that exposing the problematic relationship between humans and machines is rather antiquated than retro-cool.
Personal Computer
