100% - "CLEAR VISIONS" LP

 Lulus:

This is music made for dancing in the dark. 100% are back; a trio whose members are spread across the land unite with a vision which remains raw and abounding with darkness but 100% are (after all) a synth-POP outfit and the darker undercurrents should not be confused for simple bleakness - they are a low red light throbbing in the distance, beckoning. Emotion certainly plays a large role in these hits with synths serenading, serving as a vehicle for tales to be told and felt, while a sense of camaraderie and relationality is inescapable and reinforced by big beats. The album closer is a remix by Nuxx Vomica and is one of the best instances of album-track-remix-on-the-same-album that I've come across lately. All told there is a lot to digest so the gorgeous pastel-piped cake which adorns the album cover is not just a playful piece of juxtaposotion with the music but an appropriate visual metaphor - an invite to slice it open and reveal layers hidden inside. So what's stopping you? Step into their personalised after-hours club and don't stop moving 'til the smoke clears.

it: Ice cold synths and throbbing beats sketch a sci-fi landscape upon which Australian synth-pop trio 100% render the universal story of love lost and the renewal of time. Drawing broad influence from 80’s pop, 90’s House, Italo Disco, Darkwave, and EBM.

A band conceived as means of necessity in 2014, 100% have been doing luxe on their terms from the start. From playing back to back DIY shows, to headlining tours, they have always held their cards close to their chest. Having been locked down and separated for years, with Clear Visions, you are invited back into their world.

Previously, the world that 100% dreamt of seemed far away - one of science fiction fantasy, a futuristic yet familiar warning. In Clear Visions, they recall these ideas now as memories, finding them to be more intimate, realised, and consequential. Chloe and Grace work together to compose synths that unfold between pulsing bass and driving beats to push and pull, while reminding the listener why they showed up.

As always, there’s a knowing comfort, and a cynicism to the lyrics of 100%. Lena's words toy with the ideas of collective and personal experiences, reflecting heavily on those close to her. With a remix from NYC-based Nuxx Vomica, the vantage that 100% have is that the future is here and they’ll take you to the party.