CD, Boredom Product, 2004
www.theehyphen.online.fr
I must confess that getting started on the review of this CD has been a somewhat painful process and, at times, I felt a bit like Homer Simpson feels about his neighbour Flanders. But with every listen, ideas began to develop in my mind, and the prose began to flow.
“Consolidated Green” is the debut album of the French electropop project Thee Hyphen, and also marks the beginning of Member U-0176’s (one of Celluloide’s keyboard players) solo career. After some appearances in compilations, and very enthusiastic reviews of his work in speciality magazines, French label Boredom releases “Consolidated Green”, a record composed of nine themes of pure and intelligent electronic pop. Pop, yes, but not necessarily “bubblegum pop”. Thee Hyphen’s sound is “cold” but with melodic vocalizations, very evocative of 80’s Coldwave. Catchy melodies combine with precise and well-constructed rhythms and dance-floor friendly choruses.
References are always an awkward thing, and maybe even dangerous, but try to imagine Lassigue Bendthaus or Clock DVA in an interesting crossover with Depeche Mode or Autechre and you won’t be very far off the mark…
Thee Hyphen develops what can be described as electro-organic music, by mixing previously electronically arranged vocals with cold and pure electronics and almost minimalist synthpop sounds. It is this mixture and contrast between the human intelligence and emotion and the synthetic, the almost automatic, that makes Thee Hyphen’s music so interesting.
Digital and analog. A hybrid synthetic technology and computers.
[7.5/10]
— Miguel Teixeira