The X – The World Is Burning

By RingMaster Review on April 23, 2024 • ( 0 )

Towards the end of April there will be an infestation of the senses, body and imagination and a declaration that The World Is Burning, Welcome to the new EP from Luxembourg electro-punks, THE X.

THE X is the creative union of vocalist Sarah and vocalist/guitarist/syntheist Yacko, the pair with plenty of musical experiences and varied projects under their wings first meeting at a place “where many musicians and creatively wild individuals gathered to jam, rehearse, and hang out”, a location they describe as “a Hogwarts for freaks”. Finding a swift creative spark between them and with songs easily flowing the duo released their debut EP, Some Beautiful Things Come from Dark Places, in the June of 2023 as well as igniting stages at numerous festivals such as Francofolies, Fêtes de la Musique in Luxembourg City and Echternach, Bieder Open Air, and Flow Festival. The buzz around them has just as quickly and potently grown with The World Is Burning adding to the reasons why.

Their first EP proved a richly captivating proposal; a shadow wrapped trip-pop nurtured bewitchment of sound and emotion but for us it is fully eclipsed by its successor. Whereas Some Beautiful Things Come from Dark Places was a dreamy and personally intimate if crepuscular companion The World Is Burning is an angry punk in presence, attitude and sound. The EP’s tracks bristle with socio-political discontent as they hungrily trespass the body and senses, yet they too have an emotional relatability for inner reflection.

The EP also proves that THE X sound is not ready to be easily tagged as even within its body let alone in comparison to their previous release, it weaves various shades and twists to its electro punk breeding. From its very first breaths, rhythmically the release is a puppeteer and soon pulling our strings as its electronic pulses and nagging beats had neck muscles twitching and instinctive movement flexing. WTF!? is that opening incitement, the song a senses jabbing, imagination stoking proposal with a calm but invasive entrance that is soon graced by Sarah’s devilish tones and suggestiveness. That combination of devilment and dark intimation though soaks every aspect of the track especially as its clouds darkens, enclose and its irritability comes to the surface.

The predaciously virulent track is superb and as potently backed by 404, the following offering a more rapidly oscillating proposal but just as menacing in tone and breath with Sarah again a tenebrific but certain light in its shadows. With industrial and post punk hues to its escalation and electro pop flames to its subsequent symphonic pop blaze, the song brews unpredictability and surprise at every turn. Indeed, with calm contemplation amid ominous ambience also in its drama, the track grumbles, rumbles, and flames with imagination insurgent enterprise.

Freak is next up and immediately sets a metronomic nagging as techno and dancefloor incitements come to life, Yacko’s tones as quickly pulling inhibitions aside to keen participation. Sharing its resistance to normality as it echoes that imposed on us all at times and certain aspects from society, the track is again an addiction stoking nagging with every note and breath a persistence of enterprise within a sound wearing that puppeteer cloak.

Within a similar template but weaving its own punk individuality, OKOK! is clamour and electro insinuation in one rousing uproar, another track that is cunning in its trespass and deceitfully controlled in its infestations. Even so, it consumed as one inescapable uproar with theatrical and classical hued drama to it consuming and exciting every aspect of aural and physical attention.

The EP is closed out by The World Is Burning (Let’s Dance), a song that in many ways bridges the dream pop/trip pop realm of the pair’s first EP and the rapacious electro punk esurience of their new adventure. There is a touch of KMFDM meets BAMBIE THUG to the track but another moment within the release that bears THE X uniqueness as it invades with a collusion of beauty and menace.

So The World Is Burning but THE X provides a soundtrack to its demise that protests and incites sheer enjoyment for one glorious and impressive encounter.

THE X self-released The World Is Burning EP on April 22^nd.