Chalk  - Conditions III

’Conditions III’ neatly encapsulates Chalk’s aesthetic, from immersive, contemporary cinematica through to ‘90s rave style beats. From an ambient start, ‘Leipzig 87’ forms into a dark, thrumming loop that seems to point toward certain euphoria. All is drenched with a sense of foreboding, with scrapes of metallic industrial noise and a muttering vocal, but the track itself never quite crashes into a climax: it’s a set-up for the remainder of the record which comes to fruition in ‘Afraid’ - a rowdy, non-stop, guitar-driven blast with roared vocals and overdriven beats. At the centre of the EP lies the pulsating night-time electronica of ‘Tell Me’, infused with pounding synths and ominous lyrics. The closer to these four dramatic tracks is ‘Pool Scene’: a rising, insistent riff and lyrical motif (“without you I’ll never learn”) which swirl away to oblivion, taking with them the looping synths. The impact of this all-too-brief foray into the vast and darkly beautiful Chalk universe will linger long after the last pulse of sound has washed away.