Collecting tracks from a number of sessions, including some overseen by
Cristian Vogel, Subliminal Kill is a bit of an introduction disc for folks in Europe and elsewhere, though doubtless the band's original Chilean fans might have been wondering what took people so long (and why earlier efforts in France apparently didn't get enough attention!). The general sound of the quintet circa 2005 slots into the post-punk/electro dance revival of the first decade of the 21st century, so likely the smarter DJs are already finding ways to mix this in with their
Rapture remixes. But in a way,
Pánico calls to mind the underrated spastic explosion of the late great
Brainiac -- less emphasis on rocking out and shouted vocals as such, perhaps, but there's the same demented sleaze glee, possibly more understated, in the vocals of Eduardo (aka Eddie Pistolas) that Tim Taylor brought to the fore on
Hissing Prigs in Static Couture. ("Anfetaminado" is a prime example.) Interpolated with the pepped-up grooves of the group -- the rhythm section has the fluid, spiky yet minimal thing down, as a casual listen to "Transpiralo" and "Santiago Song" easily show -- the result's an immediately addictive treat. What helps the group's work to even further stand out from the many similar bands working in similar fields is the often unusual mix on the songs -- elements seems to waft in and out without notice, like things were cranked up, dropped out, and panned just because some odd alien logic dictated it. The result's often a very strong live feeling for the songs, like you can feel Eduardo whispering in a Lux Interior vamp style in your ear for "Iguana" (itself a great slice of demento-world funk/stomp) or that everyone's performing around an audience in a garage somewhere. There's definitely something fun going on here and it'll be a treat to hear if the band can finally break through much more widely. ~ Ned Raggett