Thee Hyphen – Consolidated Green

Boredom Records is a French label that keeps on surprising me with quality releases. No high quantity of albums, but just releases that are worth releasing to the public. Their last release is Thee Hyphen’s album Consolidated Green.

Thee Hyphen is the solo project of U-0176, who is best known for his work with Celluloid. This solo-work however is much more complex than the Celluloid work is, hard to label as well. It is the kind of release that immediately feels and sounds like you already know it, but where you can’t pinpoint what it is, whom it is where you heard it before. But it’s also the kind of album that keeps on surprising you, that gives you more every time you listen to it.

Closest label for the music of Thee Hyphen is synthpop, but this label at the same time seems utterly misplaced, as there is EBM, there is experimental electro, dark electro, all kinds of styles that come together. Synergie is the result, great music indeed that is very well accompanied by the vocals of U-0176, who sounds like Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) at times.

Even though the album mixes analog sounds with digital sounds, blends new styles of electronic music with the 80’s electrosound, Consolidated Green above all brings me back to the 80s, nostalgia in a positive way. The songs all just fit into the album, making it impossible to pinpoint a favorite track, the album makes the songs, just as much as the songs make the album. Let it be sure that this album will resound in my living room for quite some time, as I’m already seeking the play-button again.

artist: Thee Hyphen
label: BOREDOMproduct
details: 9 tracks, 2004