What does Void Comp sound like?

Introspective Indietronica.

The review of ‘Doesn’t Mean Anything’ by Void Comp

It’s been two years since the last Void Comp EP, and Alberta, Canada artist Void Comp is back with another EP of curious indietronica tracks. If you like your guitar-laden indie music with subdued vocals and a desolate synth backdrop, you are in luck. This EP, and Void Comp in general, is a master at it.

The title track leads us into this four track EP with a smoky guitar noodling motif and trip-hop beat that accentuates the tape-worn synths that support the guitars underneath. Things feel a bit lethargic, but far more mysterious as the track switches between guitar-driven choruses and bluesy synth interludes. The extended outro then brings in a soulful guitar lead that drifts over the beats effortlessly. It is like the outro is tidying up loose ends, because the rest of the EP is a far darker affair.

‘Only One’ is driven by wiry synth warbles that twist on and off in panoramic stereo over a tripping beat. Lamenting at losing at his own game, Void Comp repeats ‘that’s the way it goes’, as the synths beg to be unleashed with their full ferocity. We never feel the full fire of the rage bubbling underneath. Instead, the vibe is like a dangerous nightclub transaction in a dystopian cyberpunk future. Whereas ‘Only One’ was maximalist, ‘Control’ takes a dusty, desert synth minimalist approach. Leaving a solo theremin-like synth wailing behind dusty electric guitar plucks and a rolling beat evokes a track of loneliness and desolation. Void Comp’s soft voice calms and soothes, whilst also sounding defeated and subdued by the harsh reality of life. His voice is so close to that of Clock Opera and Duologue, they could be sound-brothers. They occupy similar indie rock vibes and soundscapes, too. The closing track, ‘Need A Little’, is the only sub-4-minute track. It takes the dusty elements from ‘Control’ and takes a leaf from Lamb’s book. Take an emotive vocal performance with descending chords, and then add a cinematic drum machine over the top to overwhelm the listener. Void Comp doesn’t quite commit to the heavy drums as Lamb does, but the playbook is still effective.

If the genre of Desert Synth Rock didn’t exist beforehand, I think it does now. Everything about this new EP from Void Comp has a dry tension to it, and it makes the song come alive. Knowing when to pull back and let the atmosphere take the lead is crucial with music production, and Void Comp does it perfectly here. These aren’t immediate earworms, but they are tracks that set a tone and mood so well that you’ll return to them to feel the heat of the night within them. Atmospheric.

Recommended track: Control

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