WTG x PLB’s The Mixtape – a captivating musical voyage that pays homage to their genre, their city, and their own creative identities.
Melbourne hard dance duo weirdtechnogirlfriend and PAUL LE BÀY release THE MIXTAPE, a twelve track album full of hardcore electronic bliss.
The couple – both intimately and musically – marry their respective musical backgrounds, a melding of EDM, metal and alternative inspired influences to create an untameable energy.
Setting the tone for the album with opener R U DOWN TO GET DOWN?, the pair offer an abrasive insight into what to expect from THE MIXTAPE. Full of ardour and temptation, it’s a call to action. Either move with the duo, or move on.
And that’s exactly what THE MIXTAPE does, seamlessly dropping into the next track, NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL ACID!!. Aggressive synths pitched up and down to lodge themselves inside listeners’ minds and a consistent build up that never quite releases.
It’s certainly a trip, and an intense one at that. It’s a tech-house staple with a unique interpretation. The most appealing moments of THE MIXTAPE come in the drops, the bass synth that loops over a dance beat until remaining still is an impossible feat.
THE MIXTAPE is like the best night of your life that you can’t remember. Inciting and seductive in its execution, this record feels like insanity. It also feels like a tribute.
To the genre, to their city and to themselves. It’s particularly apparent on tracks like PARTY RAVE ANTHEM, an intentionally generic offering that nails its stereotypes in an almost comedic fashion.
It’s a demonstration of how accurately WTG x PLB can emulate pieces of a scene that have so greatly inspired them.
Hitting on a more textured, unnerving note is TECHNO BOOGIEMAN. Reminiscent of Retrowave and the slasher era, this track is dark and twisty, unsure and searching.
Previously released single I’M IN MELBOURNE B!TCH is an ode to their roots, while BACK 2 DA FUTURE is incessant and unforgiving.
One of the hardest tracks on THE MIXTAPE, it dances at the other end of the WTG x PLB spectrum; another shining example of how they can reach into the depths of techno and produce something entirely distinct, yet wholly fitting for the musical landscape.
This partnership clearly bears great fruits. With 2023 set to be their year, listen to THE MIXTAPE below.
Review by Caitlin Norris
All photos by Brandon Yang and Matt Ruderman
