By Keith Walsh
From Stockholm, Sweden, the female duo e:lect lives up to the uniqueness of their name, combining EBM beats with classic synthpop sounds and relevant lyrics.
With Hella Helin and Anna Ljunggren taking turns on vocals, synths and beatmakers, e:lect have recently released a video for “Spies,” a danceable tune from the excellent Disoriented Illusion album of November 2022, and the audio for “Collision,” from their upcoming album, a work in progress. Ljunggren and Helin take the vocal reins on various songs.
“Spies” has a classic pulsating bass, with undulating resonance, and presents the dark mystery of power and paranoia, in a tale about a whistleblower.
“Collision” also has a haunting feel, with fatalistic lyrics and a slow groove and a similarity to The Pet Shop Boys. It was recorded at Studio Lars. Helin and Ljunggren are childhood friends, creating music in other projects until getting together in 2016 to form e:lect.
Disoriented Illusion is an 11-track set packed with energetic EBM and catchy vocal and instrumental hooks. There’s a lot to love here, and I expect the upcoming album to be loaded with exciting beats.
e:lect are getting around, recently playing live shows with Tobias Bernstrup and Patrik Adolfsson, and are set to play this spring and summer, including Charles Dickens in Helsingborg, and Jon-Fest in Ӧrebro.
e:lect on Bandcamp
e:lect on Spotify
e:lect on Instagram
e:lect on Facebook
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