Nylon Union: Defragment Us – Album Review

Nylon Union: Defragment Us

(Vlna Records)

Vinyl | CD | DL

Released: 10 April

Nylon Union return with their fifth album. Defragment Us looks at disparate themes in a fragmented world and tries to make sense of it all.

On their latest album Nylon Union’s songwriter, Slovakia-based Richard Imrich, has teamed up with experimental poet Peter Šulej, with whom he co-wrote the lyrics of all the songs on Defragment Us bar two. It’s Nylon Union’s fifth album since they debuted in 2001. We favourably reviewed their last album Words and Waves here.

Regarding the title of this new work, and his collaboration with Peter Šulej, Imrich states: “We started off writing new songs with Peter during recording the previous album Words And Waves, while Erik (Horák) was busy with production duties. Once we had almost all new songs ready for recording, I asked Peter how we are going to cross-bridge those diverse themes spanning from climate change-induced distress to a baby boomer with fading memories of his hippy youth. He replayed: ‘I dunno, we need to defragment us like an old hard drive first.’”

The songs do cover diverse topics, but the overriding theme is one of dislocation and the desperate feeling we all have when trying to reach out to each other in a world that is becoming more extreme, more polarised. Defragment Us is a denser, psychedelic, and more cold wave sound than its predecessor, with at times an unemotional 80s sound. Lyrically it’s very interesting with intelligent (it’s not often lyrics are provided with reference notes) and intriguing visons, but also laced with humour and quirkiness.

Album opener Solastalgia, a song about pollution, is an upbeat start to the album which has scratchy, offbeat guitar, a funky driving bassline and soaring synths over a big drum sound, creating a psychedelic feel with its many textures. There is a similar big 80s drum sound on I Wanna Know Why, but here the music is more dreamlike, restrained, with a Beatles edge to it, creating a feeling that you are flying over the world in a drug induced state, trying to make sense of everything. How do we live in a world that we don’t comprehend? There are hints of Tears For Fears.  There is a similar 80s feel to Off The Plot, but here it’s an electronic dance beat to fill the flashing nightclubs.

On Telephone Song, the electronic sounds are allied with a cold, clinical beat. The vocals are like words coming down the line, trying to make a connection, hoping for a call. And on A Poor Boomer, with its big guitar chord opening and crazed horns, we find an old burnt out hippy longing for a past that no longer exists, He is out of time and place. As on Dive In which starts softly, then builds in swirling intensity, where an elderly guy with hair greying like the rust of the pool ladder, feels time slipping like water through his fingers.

Giving Up Time has a funkier beat, with the drum rim hits creating a sound like creeping foliage in a spooky forest, creating a moody atmosphere. Vocally it reminds me of Paul Simon. Peters and Marks has a big rave drum sound and swirling guitars, whilst Les Grandes Différences has a rocking 50s beat which tells us that nothing we do really makes much difference and we need to simplify our lives.

White Room has a heavy sound and has a freaky, unsettling feel to it. What is the white room? Album closer Saint-Tropez lightens the mood with its fun, groovy beach sound.

There is much to admire on this latest release. Musically it is very dense and interesting with lots of textures, tempo changes and layers of sounds, whilst lyrically it is challenging without ever subsuming the melody to cleverness. It rewards with each new listen

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You can find Nylon Union on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp.

All words by Mark Ray. More writing by Mark Ray can be found at his author archive. And he can be found on Instagram.