The Hau Ruck! label have always seemed immensely proud of the diversity of sound and genre-spanning styles of music they’ve released over the years. With each new release, you’re never quite sure exactly what’s going to come next, but there are two elements to each of their releases which are pretty much guaranteed. The first is the quality of music. Irrespective of specific genre or style, the music is always of an immensely high quality, and secondly, the music as a rule falls somewhere under the post-industrial/noise/martial umbrella of style and sound. Well of course, that is until now!

So with the release of this self-titled debut from the French group Position Parallèle, they turn your understanding of the Hau Ruck! label completely on its head. You see, where PP differ from other artists on the label is in the unapologetic manner of the minimalist electro-pop they produce. Highly addictive and immensely listenable, Position Parallèle fuse together the analogue sound of 80s electro-pop and the modern trappings of electro-clash to produce a very retro-sounding electronic music awash with pop sensibilities, albeit with a dark, shadowy undercurrent running though it.

If you can imagine an amalgamation of the dark pop of ‘Black Celebration’-era Depeche Mode and the stomping electro-punk of Fischerspooner’s classic electro-clash album ‘#1’ with a huge hint of 80s synth sound, then you’d be somewhere close to what PP are producing, but still not exactly spot on, as somehow PP seem incredibly innovative in their approach and sound.

Mirroring this 80s alternative synth-pop sound but with a fresh, original style that has a marvellous retro feel to it, it’s a real pleasure to listen to. It’s uplifting and hugely enjoyable, the sort of album just makes you bob along to the beat whist singing your heart out, even if you don’t understand the French lyrics. Of course, it’s difficult to listen to PP without laying down at least some comparisons in the form of early Depeche Mode, Fischerspooner and the marvellous Indochine, and since each of these groups all make perfect synth-based pop music with a dark aesthetic, they should act as a great point of reference for PP’s music and style.

I suppose it’s also worth mentioning for those who are more inclined toward industrial genres of music that one half of PP is actually Geoffroy D., the driving force behind the legendary martial group Dernière Volonté. However, if you’ve listened to the last couple of DV albums, you’ll have noticed the electro-pop influences slowly working their way though the lush neo-classical orchestrations, so a move to PP seems like almost a natural progression.

‘Position Parallèle’ and the music it contains came as a real surprise, especially when you hear the beautifully seductive ‘Si Calme’, which is quite simply a perfect synth-pop song with its sublime lyrics, tune and subtle beats. In fact it has to be said that my wife, who isn’t by any stretch a fan of post-industrial music, absolutely adored this album and couldn’t sing its praises highly enough. It also helped that she’s French Canadian, so could understand the lyrics and sing them perfectly. She’s also a huge fan of Indochine, perhaps France’s most popular electro-pop act (sort of like a French Depeche Mode) and although she could see the comparison between the two bands, she thought PP outshone Indochine’s work considerably, which is no mean feat.  

I challenge anyone to listen to the whole of this album and keep their feet still. The fantastically stylised music is just infectious and forces you to move. Since its arrival, Position Parallèle has been played pretty much constantly and I just can’t seem to tire of listening to the album’s minimalist electro tracks. Hopefully this project will become a mainstay of Geoffroy and co., and this album will be swiftly followed by an equally enjoyable sequel. PP really is a fantastically enjoyable listen from start to finish, and whilst I appreciate its electro-pop stylising won’t appeal to everyone, I for one can’t get enough of them. So do yourself a favour and investigate now, especially if you’re a Dernière Volonté fan, as I’m sure you’ll be hooked as quickly as we were in the Judas Kiss office.

www.hauruck.org

www.myspace.com/positionparallele

www.tesco-germany.com