ProForma (Remastered)

ProForma's self-titled debut is an impressive introduction of five slick electronic numbers that would make Adult., Ladytron and their peers blush. With a tight, minimalist approach to production, ProForma offers a kitschy play on electronic music and it's great. Swarthy synth beats layered among trippy drum machines and distorted vocals alongside the band's influences — Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio — get it right. Album opener "Human Error" and "Sexual Design" highlight a darker atmosphere with their defined neo-electro beats and overall moody disposition. Imagining a heavier, twisted version of Section 25 wouldn't be too off-target. Eerie piano arrangements waltz around the fractured bass lines of "The Passion Prefix" while also showcasing brooding harmonies from guitarist Simon Henderson and drummer Paul Thomson. Victoria Henderson (bass) is a near vocal match for Bis' Manda Rin, allowing the EP's robotic rawness to carry on. Only released in the U.K., the ProForma EP has a kind of homemade sound to it, however that's what makes it a rarity among the stylized label releases. Finding a pre-Franz Ferdinand Thomson at the helm makes for an interesting listen too. [The video for "The Passion Prefix" is also included here.]