Consisting of three distinct artists whose other projects are all rather different, Junkie Flamingos is not quite what I would call a supergroup, but instead a three part collaboration that reflects the artists' distinct styles, but in a singular presentation. Featuring Alice Kundalini's electronics and vocals (of death industrial project She Spread Sorrow) and music from electronic artist Luca Sigurt√° and Daniele Delogu from the folk tinged Barbarian Pipe Band. The sound of Lemegeton Party makes sense, with layered, noisy synths, processed vocals, and dramatic bombast, and it all comes together as a challenging and fragmented record, but with a catchy, pleasant sounding undercurrent.
There is a vaguely synth pop/electro-industrial sheen throughout this record, but those elements (drum programming, keyboards, etc.) are stripped down and dissected into varying levels of abstraction.For example, "Goetia" is a tightly structured song, but rather than traditional drum machine sounds, the rhythms are constructed from what sounds like rocks being crushed under heavy machinery.The remaining parts are similarly rhythmic, and Kundalini's vocals up front but heavily effected.A bit of synth string melody appears, but in the loosest sense of the word.
"Restless Youth" features the trio opting for actual drum machine beats, but surrounded by dark electronic passages and some rather heavy bass tones.The sound on the whole is fragmented; there are sparse melodies to be heard before the piece slowly winds down into a swamp of dying synths and echoing reverb.For "The Language of Slaves" the rhythms mellow out a bit, and the vocals are less treated, though feature Kundalini's with a vocoder accompaniment.The backing is more of a cavernous drone here, and on the whole is a more spacious performance.
The album closer, "Shape of Men," is perhaps the most conventionally song-like here, but it also makes for an excellent note to close the record on.A massive sounding drum machine dominates the mix, but pulsating keyboards, bells, and controlled feedback flesh out the mix exceptionally.It may be the most conventionally structured, but it is still a heavy affair, with an almost impenetrable darkness throughout.The juxtaposition of traditional songwriting and bleak, sinister sensibilities result in an exceptionally captivating combination.
It is abundantly clear the roles each of the artists in Junkie Flamingos play, from Alice Kundalini's vocals and harsher electronic sounds, Daniele Delogu's dramatic, folksy flair, and Luca Sigurt√°'s rhythmic, lush electronics.Even with all of these very different sounding (on paper) components, Lemegeton Party still works as a single, unified sounding album from a band, not just a trio of solo artists or performers.The combination of experimental and harsher sounds with the distinct rhythms and fragments of melody results in a cold, but gripping record from beginning to end.
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