Beijing's
Re-TROS went through quite the evolution during the eight years between 2009's excellently named Watch Out! Climate Has Changed, Fat Mum Rises… and its follow-up,
Before the Applause. While some of the trio's dark post-punk roots remain on the theatrical, organ-driven "Pigs in the River" (the title of which was inspired by a 2013 incident where thousands of pig corpses floated down Shanghai's Huangpu River) and "The Last Dance,"
Re-TROS spend more time reinventing themselves than rehashing the past. They expand on the rhythmic thrust of their previous work, transforming it into massive, electronically enhanced grooves that are as relentless as they are irresistible. On "Hailing Drums," pummeling beats and speeding arpeggios never let up over its nine-minute sweep, while "Red Rum Aviv" is a perpetual motion machine consisting of breakneck riffs and loops and bassist Liu Min's electrifying vocals. The band's wider range of influences reaps fascinating dividends on highlights like the two-part "8+2+8," which takes its inspiration from
Steve Reich's "Clapping Music" as it grows from whispery beginnings in its first half to a thundering ten-minute workout in its second. The 12-minute "At Mosp Here" is another standout, blending industrial's crunchy beats with touches of house and dance punk. Here and throughout
Before the Applause,
Re-TROS sound fully in command of their sound, and fans of
Liars,
Battles,
Factory Floor, and
Public Image Ltd will almost certainly get -- and love -- where they're coming from. ~ Heather Phares