There’s a vast array of electronic pop duos around. We get emailed a new one every day it seems, but few make the grade. Death Rattle is one of them.
The London-based duo (Chris and Helen Hamilton) recently released a remarkably intense and erotic EP titled Fortress. With its oscillating synth, lead track “White Ropes” is ominously mesmerizing. These are perhaps not the most romantic lyrics — it actually seems to reference a break-up, as does basically all of Fortress — but the music itself is wonderfully dark and sensual.
It’s uncertain if this shadowy path is one Death Rattle will walk in the future but, in what feels like a pretty saturated field, such departures from the ubiquitous sickly sweet electro-pop are more than welcome.