Minimal wave act
Linea Aspera formed in London in 2011 and released two cassette EPs before Dark Entries picked up their debut LP in 2012. Strictly using a limited assembly of analog synthesizers, the duo create psychologically charged coldwave pop distinguished by sharp beats and haunting melodies, and most importantly,
Alison Lewis' striking lyrics, which express deep feelings of longing, desire, and anxiety while using terms related to neuroscience and anthropology. The industrial and noise elements of the duo's initial recordings are largely absent, as the pair's sound is honed into pitch-perfect synth pop recalling
Soft Cell and early
Depeche Mode at their best. Opener "Synapse" cuts the deepest, with its devastating refrain "Don't look at me, it hurts," but "Eviction" and the hazy "Preservation Bias" come close, accepting life as a temporary state and the inevitable failure of the body. "Malarone" is simply vicious, with
Lewis accusing a man of being a "filthy protozoan" and a "parasite in the bloodstream," and the Italo-tinged "Reunion" contains the bitter accusation "You are emptiness," alluding to harsh violence as a form of necessary self-defense rather than retaliation. Emotionally gripping and alarmingly focused,
Linea Aspera's debut rightfully earned an underground following, and the duo reunited in 2019 after spending most of the decade active with other projects.