Track 2

Ever had a tough time deciding on the perfect title for a piece? The minimalist-noise outfit New Humans conquered the situation by embracing the problem. Each track carries at least 25 possible names, but hey, with hand silk-screened cover art and a limited edition release—the vinyl edition is glow-in-the-dark!—we’re cool with the, um, artistically done alias overkill with regard to the album’s four tracks. And speaking of overkill, those familiar with the band-cum-art-collective’s debut release might be scratching their heads for the first 15 minutes, wondering where the ultra-subdued, almost pristine, droning à la early synth music is coming from. Then, suddenly, timbres turn hard-edged on track 3, which we’ll call “virtually any shape or line repeated often enough will produce a pattern of some sort” or “self-sabotage.” Both monikers shed light into the New Human’s modus operandi: conceptually based minimalism vs. the entropy of noise aesthetics. The sonic results are mesmerizing, revealing both the beauty repetition can hold and its insidious underbelly, conjuring pep rally cheers that border on chants to Der Führer.

—RN