There’s something special about every TR/ST recording. The outfit, spearheaded by Robert Alfons, is a producer of some of the most divine Electronic-based work in that last decade plus and adhere to a schedule all their own which only adds to the magic but when a release is announced the one thing you an expect is a deluge of news and new music. Like the flood that happened following TR/ST’s signing to Dais Records in late 2023 which was followed by a surprise EP in January of this year and now, following a few singles, Performance.
While listening through/catching up on promos at one point we came across 2014’s Joyland which was a weird fuckin’ album (Now go listen to “Slightly Floating” and “Geryon” and tell us we’re wrong as first-time listeners). However, as longtime Darkwave and Electro fans we were intrigued and then utterly enthralled as we did a TR/ST dive and discovered the recordings that preceded Joyland (Along with Alfons’ stunning live performances like one of our most favorites from 2013 here) leading to forever fans from us.
That said, any time a new TR/ST recording is announced we’re on the edge of our seats with anticipation which was the case ever since the Dais deal was announced. And Performance definitely delivers with this perfect amalgamation of the more automaton nature of Joyland and the earnest leanings of TR/ST merged with the bigger than life sound prevalent on both of The Destroyer albums for something that is utterly enlightened and entrancing.
According to the press release, Performance was “Recorded in Los Angeles, the songs seethe with dread, lust, reckoning, and abandon, backlit by the light pollution of a thousand dead end city streets.” but you’d be forgiven if you said you couldn’t tell from the sounds that emanate from your speakers over the course of these nine tracks. “Soon” is transcendent and peak “modern” TR/ST with an airy quality that’s practically effervescent at this point as Alfons’ uncanny vocal delivery shapes the electronic texture even more while “Regret” reminds us of Joyland a lot but also Darkwave greats like The Soft Moon at times throughout this track with Alfons adopting his more baritone style to create a more ominous air.
“All At Once” thumps and throbs but still sounds uplifting, “The Shore” is a relentless club anthem helped along by the co-production of Nightfeelings (Who assists throughout Performance), and “Boys Of LA” is an Electro epic as punctuated beats and synth tones permeate the ethereal mood with infectious feels. “Clowned” is a whole vibe on its’ own and definitely hearkens back to TR/ST’s earlier days and speaking of days, “Dark Day” which follows is a vibrant atmospheric piece that would easily fit in the framework of any previous TR/ST recording.
Then you have the massive title track which illuminates and illustrates why Alfons and TR/ST is still one of the most interesting and enduring Electronic artists with”Warp” concluding this particular Performance in a kind of perfect way with a steady synthetic climb into this sort of aural ambience capped by peak Alfons vocals and some truly iconic TR/ST sounds.
Performance arrives through Dais Records on September 13th with pre-orders live now and available for purchase by heading here. For more from TR/ST, including a list of recently announced Fall tour dates like the one at The Sinclair in Cambridge on November 2nd, follow the socials by clicking here or here.