Review: Victor Love – 'Neo Tokyo Underground'

VICTOR LOVE
'Neo Tokyo Underground'
SELF-RELEASED

It's pretty safe to say at this juncture that Victor Love doesn't give a fuck about what he's expected to do or how he should do business. The man behind cyberpunks Dope Stars Inc. has been happily pirating his own band's music for years and giving the music business the middle finger while he is doing it. Now his new solo musical project sees him throw away the conventions of his band in favour of a more minimalistic approach. And with one EP already released in the form of 'The Network' it looks like it will pay off for him.

To capitalise on the release of his début solo EP, the Italian multi-instrumentalist and producer has unleashed another solo release in the form of the club single 'Neo Tokyo Underground'. The instrumental anthem blends techno, ebm, electro-industrial and distorted dance beats to create a compellingly grooving track that is pure dance-floor gold. In it's scathing synths, groovy bassline and simple beat it evokes the atmosphere of the kind of apocalyptic rave you'd expect the clubs in the world of Akira, Ghost In the Shell, and The Sprawl Trilogy to be spinning.

As with the EP before it, the track is more straightforward in it's approach than long-time fans of Love will be used to with his more guitar driven main project. However it is just a strong as anything else in his back catalogue and produced and mixed to the same high degree you'd expect from him.

This is another great offering from Victor Love and one that once again cries out for him to explore this direction on a full-length album sooner rather than later. Hopefully with another Dope Stars Inc. release scheduled for this year he will be able to balance the two projects and continue to deliver on both.  

Posted in: music,neo tokyo underground,victor love