Image credits: Sam Tygier
Following two excellent singles, December’s Sleep and most recently March’s Save Yourself Murderers, the nom de plume of Manchester-based game developer / ex-physicist / human Luke Thompson unleash the eagerly awaited debut EP Tape One. 
Murderers evolved from the embryonic premise of a solo synthwave / post punk / alternative project that was purely a vehicle for laying down reference tracks for live shows, but thanks in part to the global situation and Luke’s determination to expand the result of hard work already bearing fruit; the first stage of metamorphosis is complete with the collection of five tracks presented here.
At pains to re-create as much of the drive and energy that punctuate live performances as possible, there is a distinctly raw and under-processed feel to all the tracks on the EP, though obviously this deliberate strategy is evidence of how much effort and attention Luke has put into the production. The imagery and aesthetic are deliberately reflective of the 80s, though this is a thorough reboot that would delight the Ready Player One generation keen to connect with the cultural references of that era while embracing a new take on it, as all fashionable reboots demand.
Luke had this to say on the EP, “Tape One is about contradictions, both lyrically and visually. Each track expresses a different aspect of that theme, from self-delusion to hypocrisy and paradox. Sonically, the EP is the first foray into a sound I plan to explore further.”
Regarding the last 12 twelve months ride, he adds: “It’s been a strange journey with Murderers – from live shows that never happened, to being signed and releasing my first record, all during lockdown. While it’s hard to say whether that’s the best possible timing or the worst, I’m excited to get Tape One out into the world.”
Each track of Tape One brims with glorious melancholy, sometimes hidden beneath on what appears on first listen to be quite uplifting lyrical content. But like many things in the 80s for those that can remember them, the subtext is much, much darker.
Tape One is available in digital and limited edition cassette formats via the AnalogueTrash Bandcamp page, and across all major digital streaming and download services.
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