- Though The Twins are a new act on Optimo Music's roster, their genre-melding debut EP, You've Got a Twin in the Attic (You Lunatic) feels familiar. But where other recent Optimo releases by Golden Teacher or Peter Gordon and Nik Colk Void have been labyrinthine things to get lost in, The Twins fix their sights firmly on the dance floor.
Still, this is Optimo, and the three eight-minute tracks here are far from DJ tools. "You've Got A Twin…" teases with a sleazy groove, all silky acid riffs and machine-funk beats. The misty vocal wails initially complement it all nicely, but as they waft into focus they're dragged down by heavy reverb, which slightly deflates the track. The vocals are put to better use on "Watercoaster," where they accompany unashamedly euphoric synth lines and crisp beats, while on the closer "Love Monarchy," The Twins pair them with oily synths and mucky distortion. Over these three tracks, The Twins' blend of synth pop, electro, techno and disco works just fine, and even if Vince Clarke's influence looms a little too large, You've Got a Twin… is a fine marriage between retro sounds and modern songcraft.
TracklistA1 You've Got A Twin In The Attic (You Lunatic)
A2 Water Coaster
A3 Love Monarchy