‘Atomise, Control the territory, Control the technology, Isolate, Assimilate, In the void of thought, That fits the hate’ (Dominion)

Now I can’t claim to have ever been much of a clubber, but there was a now long departed club in Birmingham that I always rather enjoyed on my occasional Saturday night visits.  The front room was the sort of banging techno favoured by those who enjoy wearing furry boots, the middle room a more mature house vibe, and then an upstairs room where quite frankly mash-ups of all varieties would be unleashed – some really didn’t work, others definitely did.  And Zeropolis, a London based French duo, deliver a fusion that would have brought that particular house down.

1000 Walls is Zeropolis’ full-length follow-up to their self-titled 2020 EP.  They deal in darkly pulsating synth punk, saturated in post-punk melancholy, and riven through with a seething anger and defiance.  Shouted vocals and infectious choruses soar above the twin synth and guitar attack, while pounding dance rhythms underpin the bleakly discordant melodies and uplifting euphoric eruptions.

This proves the perfect soundtrack for the band’s exploration of the atomisation of society through rampant social inequality (Dominion), populist harnessing of the resultant discontent (The Nobodies), and workplace exploitation (Bullshit Job), as well as the anxiety and insecurity that this provokes (Keep Calm).  The themes also speak to our need for hedonistic release (Dance) while steering clear of nihilistic acceptance – yes, you’ll want to bust out your best moves but never in resigned abandon, always in preparation for the battles to come.