Culture Kultür—the group now formed by José Luis Clotet and Salva Maine—will release tomorrow a new album titled Atomic, seven years after their previous record, Humanity. After the compilation Time, in which they offered new versions of their classics, and their performance at the Santuario festival, it was only a matter of time before they went back into the studio to record new material. We’d also like to remind you that the project began back in 1992 with the single Bass Can You Hear Me?, which featured a sound closer to the techno of the time. The band gradually evolved toward a more EBM / future-pop direction until they found their own voice with Revenge and Salva Maine joining as vocalist. During that period, they became style references thanks to releases such as Reborn (on the Out of Line label), and the later albums Spirit and Humanity. In the breaks the band has had—now almost 35 years active—Salva Maine has been busy with the project he shares with Manix Salazar (from Caustic Records), Har Belex, which we’ve written about on several occasions. Coming back to the present: Culture Kultür will present this new album on June 6 at the Cadavra venue in Madrid. Atomic has been released by Caustic Records, the label that has been home to the band since 2010.
It doesn’t get off to a better start than “Atomic Radio”: euphoric synths grab you and send you back in time to better days until the kick drum hits and you’re back in the real world. Maine sings better than ever here in this track with a true hymn-like intent, especially thanks to a very catchy chorus. “Leaving Your Memory”, right from the title, lets you know it’s going to be more dramatic—but it never loses sight of the dancefloor. It also includes a really moving keyboard solo. Next comes “Incandescent”, one of the three singles released so far from the album—epic and danceable in equal measure. The band also reflects about the moment we’re living through in “Same Old War”, where Salva really shows off with his passionate way of singing. We continue with the intense “Inner Fire”, which has the elegant vibe of sophisticated 80s synth pop / synthwave, and is one of the album’s standout tracks. “We Are the Rivers” is a future-pop anthem that’s sure to hit even harder live. “Verbundenheit” (sung in German) is a slower, more emotional track—perfect for Maine to shine at full strength and for José Luis to deliver a carefully crafted production. “Never Dead” brings sentiment and dancing back hand in hand, with a genuinely spectacular chorus. “Living In a Hard Drive” is made for getting you moving in your favourite goth club. The final track is “The Last Song”—a heartfelt, catchy farewell, featuring a great bridge where Salva sings with passion.
Culture Kultür are back, and they’ve been missed.
