On their new album “NEO ENIAC”, Chinese math pop group GriffO (鬼否) offer you a roller coaster experience.
Hangzhou’s GriffO was full on Japanese math pop mode on the first single off their new studio release “NEO ENIAC”. The bubbly and kinetic “Tamagotchi” was named after none other than the digital pet which invaded the psyche of our generation in 1996.
From the old-fashioned icons to that god damn “LOADING” font – it’s a nostalgic head trip back to an era were computers were still getting their shit together and a people were getting way too emotional over taking care of their digital pet. The breakdowns in this song are something to behold.
Half a year after that single, we finally received “NEO ENIAC” with 11 tracks as diverse as it gets concerning songwriting, sound and the use of vocals. Take just the second song “奇数和自然数一样多”, which is math / avant / indie / pop / rock in just four minutes, changing the time signature and mood every few bars and leaving you with the roller coaster experience.
The albm is based loosely around the concept of an AI-enhanced girlfriend, and the computer-generated emotions swirling inside us all, the band feels right like a step in the direction of some of the genre’s more innovative architects such as LITE, Zazen Boys, Battles.
While adding their own eccentricities, they furiously blend together elements of suave jazz, sugar-coated indietronica, and kawaii punk swirl together into a satisfying and intoxicating cocktail. In a genre that’s often overpopulated with monotony, GriffO has wisely veered off course.
Stream “NEO ENIAC” LP on Spotify and Apple Music.
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