Following their ambitious 2012 album
Blitz Gazer, which melded their synth pop roots with shoegaze's blurry edges,
DAT Politics returned to Tigerbeat6 for the
Powermoon EP. The duo also returned to the more playful sound of its earlier work for most of these songs, which would be disappointing if the EP wasn't so much fun. The neon-bright synths, bouncy beats, and mix of robotic and human vocals that defined albums like
Mad Kit reappear on the funky, mischievous "Fox Box Sound" and "Monitor"'s blip-fest. Meanwhile, "Trance Mission" is trance music as played on electronic toy instruments, with goofy but very danceable results. A little of
Blitz Gazer's atmosphere rubs off on softer tracks such as "Boogie Mind" and "Ghost Town"; "Hold That Pose," a collaboration with
Soft Pink Truth and Nomi Revlon, reaffirms that while this EP may be a return, it's not a retreat.
Powermoon is a very enjoyable balance of
DAT Politics' pop and experimental leanings that reaffirms they're just getting better with time. ~ Heather Phares