WL//WH Review: WATCH CLARK “Couch” LP [VTwin Media]

WL//WH Review Watch Clark

photo by Christy Wiseman

I am speaking to all of you who dwell in the wide spectrum of synthesized music galaxy…to all of you who are deep into electro/ synthpop and all the relevant music genres around them, this is a record that you will absolutely cherish! Earlier in September, Seattle‘s son Paul Furio published his third album ‘Couch’ under his own moniker Watch Clark through VTwin Media.

First, I’ll give you the gear he employed in this album as I found it in the press release, look: an Apple iMac, Propellerheads Reason 10, Adobe Audition, MOTU 1248 and 16A audio interfaces, MOTU Microlite MIDI interface, Nektar Panorama P6 controller, DSI OB-6 analog synthesizer, Behringer Neutron semi-modular synthesizer, Moog Mother-32 semi-modular synthesizers (x2), Lexicon MX300 effects, Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro Guitar, R0DE NT-1 microphone, Shure 55SH microphone, Alesis Samplepad Pro drum pads, Alesis RA-100 amplifier, Alesis Monitor One studio monitors, and Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones.

Pretty nice and serious stuff, don’t you think? Watch Clark presents immersive synthpop music in this new album that is a bit far from the sonic anguish and the futuristic electronic terrors of his previous works. You’ll find some EBM and a few industrial traces too, but only as footprints as his own new sonic trail led me to the origins of synthpop music. ‘Couch’ LP is a melodic kaleidoscope that sounds fresh while echoing classic synthpop artists such as Depeche Mode, not surprising considering that these British pioneers number among their main creative influences, along with Nine Inch Nails and Duran Duran. ‘Misery’ is the leading track of the album, let’s unwind the thread!

You’ll also find a part of his EBM oriented future-pop soul in the album like here, in ‘Tansfläche’!

As I mentioned before, you’ll also find traces of industrial music too, try ‘Get To Win!

Lyrically, the album is designated through our gloriously dystopic times,

“Couch is a reflection on relationships, political, and life turmoil. I went through a series of dramatic changes while working on this album, from ending a long term relationship to ending a career, and dealing with a political environment that seems to be spiraling into an authoritarian nightmare based on lies and deceit” says Paul Furio.

Funny how he didn’t make a synth-punk or an only-industrial album. Most of the songs in ‘Couch’ LP are targeting the dancefloors for an electronic feast of hopes and dreams. The whole result is a quite positive electronic album with clear intentions and most of all, conscious in its motion and utterly aware of the purposes it reflects as Furio was focused on crafting songs that are danceable, political, relatable, and harshly honest. He tells a story with every Watch Clark album, although one whose context changes based on the perception of the listener. So, here is one of the most straight-up albums of the year, choose your poison and dance!

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Written by Loud Cities Mike