Motormark - Pop;up - Album Review

Motormark
Pop;up
(PopChild Records)

Scottish electro punk duo Jane Motoro and Marko Polo Roid turn synths into a destructive machine, so much so that it will leave the honest hard working electro funk artists like Ladytron crying onto their latest carefully ironed uniform. Motormark are a breath of fresh air in the anger and passion they combine to liven up a genre that sorely needed it. The erratic and frantic electronica coupled with distorted

drum beats, sit in well with Jane’s uncompromising in your face vocals that could best be described as Mira Aroyo (Ladytron) mixed with Bjork and flickers of Tori Amos, having a Sunday afternoon drive in a formula one race car.

The instrumentals at times are as diverse as Kieran Hebden’s new project Four Tet, a case in point being the provocatively titled ‘Crimes Against Pop’, starting off with the same noise as someone trying to use a phone keypad whilst they are still talking to someone on the phone, yes, it is that infuriating. The track then settles down to quite a friendly electro pop offering with Marko’s frenzied almost rap style vocals kicking in. Despite the futuristic style instrumentals, the lyrics at their best are full on, defiant and punk natured, as in ‘Flexitime’ (featuring neat backing vocals from Amanda Mackinnon);

“I don’t love work flexi time nine till five or five to nine.
We’ve had a few narrow escapes, drank straight from the bottle aint cheap mis-shapes. “

It is hardly surprising that Motormark have drawn comparisons with fellow scots The Rezillos. ‘Pop; Up’ is a bold kaleidoscope of head tripping electro that is very refreshing in this age of “have guitar will sound like NME wants me to” bands that are about these days. The flashy ‘Love us’ is an elctonified take on the Manic Street Preachers track ‘You Love Us’ that flies in the face of our stiff upper lipped humble British way of doing things. The is a neat hidden track at the end with a ‘Moldy Peaches 2000’ style acapella introduction before transforming into a neat disco tune about being merry. This album certainly has the potential to leave a mark in the minds of the unsuspecting music loving public.

David Adair