IGO
Synth Love
(Modern Sky)
Be it in fashion or music, in the west or Asia, retro is the new wave. Out of Shanghai, that trend is declared by Synth Love, the debut from pop pair IGO. Sung in semi-sensical English, the 10 tracks blend 1980s synthesiser nostalgia with contemporary electronica sensibilities. The result channels Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode for a sound that is catchy, engaging and danceable.
IGO, formed in 2006, comprise vocalist J Jay (Wu Jianjing) and synthesizerist B6 (Lou Nanli), both veterans of Shanghai's rock and DJ scenes. The English lyrics reflect the desire to break away from Mando-rock and into the world market.
The lyrics are mostly vague references to alienation and romantic angst, ranging from the rambling to the incisively hilarious. The best example of the latter is Fake Van Gogh, a mockery of artistic pretension in the tale of 'a little guy working in a little company' who daydreams himself into an artistic genius. The messages in most other tracks, however, are less precise: scattered references to wanting, hating, loving, touching, kissing, dreaming, losing and flying.
