Electronic outfit Strange Fruit come from … Jakarta, Indonesia (!), and “Monopolar” is offered as a single off their new EP, “Drips”. This band, which since 2015 has fluidly moved between noise pop, kraut rock, shoegaze and electronica, is continuing its cosmic experimentation and presents a song, which is charming and haunting! Strange Fruit is not here to play safe—they are here to mess with your head. “Monopolar” is an absolute trip, the kind of track that doesn’t just play in the background but grabs you by the brain and drags you into its strange, glowing universe. From the very first seconds, “Monopolar” feels like stepping into a neon dream, where everything is blurred and slow-motion. The synths float around like ghosts, while the rhythm keeps pulsing underneath like a hypnotic heartbeat you can’t escape. It’s psychedelic, it’s electronic, it’s a little bit German electronic/kraut rock, a little bit shoegaze, and a whole lot of “what the hell is happening and why do I love it so much?”! This is not your easy, radio-friendly dance track. The beat is subtle but addictive, the textures are lush as hell, and everything feels like it’s melting together. Honestly, “Monopolar” is the kind of single that reminds you electronic music can still be dangerous and sexy. It pulls you in slowly, and before you know it, you’re lost inside it. Strange Fruit have delivered something seriously special here. “Monopolar” is a hallucination, a dizzy drive through another dimension. Put your headphones on, turn the lights off, push play and let this thing ruin you.
♦ 8/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
