The greater Seattle-Tacoma region has some great record shops, though at times if feels like most are more generalists and it would be nice to have a bit more… uniqueness. Fortunately we have Selector Records in Seattle specializing in electronic music, probably the only such store in the state. And most recently we saw the entry of Volver Records located on Mercer Island, a shop with a strong Japanese influence, both in carrying Japanese artists and releases. And if you’ve never gone down the Japanese release rabbit hole, you’re missing out friend. Recording quality is generally top notch, jackets are printed on a thicker and sturdier stock, there are often unique inserts, and, well, record owners in Japan really keep their stuff in top-notch condition.
It was during a visit to Volver the other day that I laid my hands on this copy of P-Model’s debut release In A Model Room. After listening to part of a few tracks at the listening station it was a no-brainer to buy. It wasn’t until after I got home that I realized I’ve actually heard this band before – they had a track on a 1982 punk/new wave compilation called Rebel Street that I picked up on one of our trips to Japan (which I just realized also has a track by Daisuck & Prostitute, another band previously featured on the blog). Kind of a cool coincidence.
The album opens with “Art Mania”, a song that combines the electronica of Kraftwerk with the quirkiness of Devo, the chorus swerving into post-punk before swinging back to more bleeps and bloops. The next song, “Health Angel”, establishes their punk cred, though still with the trippy high-pitched electronics. In A Model Room continues to veer about, a manic driver behind the wheel of a car lurching all over the road and scaring the hell out of the other drivers. But, you know, with a synth player in the back seat. A fun listen, though the electronics begin to wear out my ears after listening to a full side – but fantastic in small doses.