“REPETITIVE RIFFS AND A THUMPING TEMPO” SHAPE THE LATEST MP3 CHAINSAW RELEASE ‘INTERVIEW GOLD’

SINGLE REVIEW | By Morgan Hermiston

If you put an amalgamation of anonymous aliases and superhero-type identities together and formed a band, then you’d get MP3 Chainsaw. The quintet from Bristol are a fusion of different characters who make music for those with a wide music taste with their tracks ranging everywhere from post-punk to art-rock and digital rock.

MP3 Chainsaw’s members each take turns providing vocals with the exception of drummer Johnny Email. Aside from Johnny Email, the band is formed by Arty Pops on guitar, cutmesum.flac on keyboard, BigCapyDamaNRG on bass and Auntie Climax who works as sampler.

‘Interview Gold’ is the band’s second single, following on from their debut release ‘Clydecore’. Both of these tracks have been released in 2024, impressively igniting and introducing MP3 Chainsaw to a world of music that they have already begun making their mark in. The tune, which follows a much more cohesive sound than their debut, was recorded and mixed by Alfie Tyson-Brown [Urkt], mastered by Dylan Mallett [Silver Waves] with artwork from Harry Wright [Mun Sing]. The digital and eclectic sound perfectly depicts the artwork from Wright while audibly symbolising the intended direction that MP3 Chainsaw seem to be going for.

Maximalism is something the group have mastered particularly well. It’s very easy for a song to become too much when mixing a wide selection of inspirations and sounds. However, ‘Interview Gold’ is catchy, and not overpowering in the slightest. Repetitive riffs and a thumping tempo drive the entire duration of the nearly 5 minute long track. A ferocious fusion of bass, drums and guitar gives ‘Interview Gold’ a similar feel to the likes of ‘Digital’ by Joy Division as well as songs by Suede and Bahaus.

Even with such a meticulous mix of concepts, the vocals are easy to hear and the words being sung are just as simple to understand. The chorus being repeated is “do you feel, at your feet, burning heat, anyone,” providing an almost musical mantra in amongst the controlled chaos surrounding it.

It’s definitely important to try and find a style of playing that sets you apart from a climate of copies and MP3 Chainsaw have taken this and ran. Creating a whole storyline behind the band, and providing a musical soundtrack to this is something that many people will enjoy and would be happy to follow along with. Describing themselves as “a band of vigilantes”, they are each fighting against “bland music and fuckboys”. With a music video out now, you can see a visualisation of ‘Interview Gold’ being brought to life.