Adult.

The last time we heard from dark synthpop duo Adult., they had several guest artists contributing to their 2017 release Detroit House Guests. This is the first album they’ve done by themselves since 2013’s The Way Things Fall. The title track kicks the album off with a minimalist four-on-the-floor and a chattering synth bass. On headphones, it’s even more engaging, as analog drones sweep from one ear to the other. “Perversions of Humankind” brings a little more grit and less polish to the album, with Nicola Kuperus’s vocals reverberating relentlessly behind layers of ominous synths. The next track, “Irregular Pleasure,” is reminiscent of early EBM, the metallic rhythms channeling Nitzer Ebb and Front 242. “On The Edge” is a frantic, slightly dissonant uptempo jam, outdone only by the last track on the album, “In All The Debris.” We are brought down slowly by bubbling synth pads which sweep off into silence. According to their label, Dais Records, the album was recorded in total isolation in the woods of northern Michigan with minimal gear involved, where it turned into 23 demos that were later dissected and assembled into songs. The result is a return to a stark and aggressive sound.  This Behavior is a definite departure from Detroit House Guests and takes us back to darker, more experimental territory, while still giving us plenty to dance to.