Right, so “Solid Ground” by Mark Vennis & Different Place (that’s Mark Vennis, Dave Sweetenham, Sean Quinn, and Brian Gee, for the record keepers) landed… somewhere. Not on my desk, not in my ears. Let’s say it phased into existence on my consciousness, like a rogue transmission from a slightly distressed future.
This isn’t your average post-punk dirge, although it definitely has that delightful sense of impending doom that the genre does so well. There’s a thrumming urgency, blended with…is that a blues harmonica? A theremin being strangled by a dial-up modem? My brain feels pleasantly scrambled.
The theme is, frankly, terrifying. Environmental collapse. But Vennis & Different Place aren’t just shouting about melting ice caps. The lyrics spin a yarn of systems failing and about a singular reality that leaves us with the primal, undeniable truth that you may just require assistance from someone standing right next to you! A bit like realizing that maybe relying on that sentient smart fridge wasn’t the best idea during a blackout. You need your neighbor, the one with the actual, old-school can opener.
The sound weaves between the angular guitars you’d expect, and unexpected soul. Also included is an electronic throbbing sound that brings some welcomed freshness.
The remix? Ah, yes. By Escape which provides an electro twist.
What else…Oh! An acoustic version?! Why not…It’s stripping away the layers that I enjoyed so much, the result is different and kind of unique.
This whole thing gives off vibes of those old public information films – the ones that were supposed to prepare you for nuclear war but just ended up making you want to build a fort out of sofa cushions. There’s an undeniable element of, well, coping woven into the noise.
It is not quite certain if “Solid Ground” offers hope, or just a really stylish soundtrack for the apocalypse. Maybe, it suggests, they’re the same thing?
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