Suicide - Suicide

What if Kraftwerk went Punk?

The first thing Suicide proved when they released their debut was that the most important thing about Punk is attitude. Alan Vega and Martin Rev make up the duo that delivered us this milestone of Punk, New Wave and Electronic.

Sonically this record is nothing like a standard punk record. Here guitars and drums are discarded, and the only instruments here are Vega’s voice and Rev’s layers of synthesizers.

Vega’s lyrics tell urban tales  through characters often displaying paranoia, alienation and fear. Vega sings in a monotonous tone which is in great contrast to the monstrous shrieks and screams Vega makes. Little whimpers and moans all serve to make Vega’s characters even more disturbing.

I promise you, your hairs will raise on multiple times through this record. 

These tales are told upon the sound of Martin Rev’s synthesizers, which are the perfect fit for Vega’s vocals.

Old drum machines are pounding out repetitive rhythms which reminded me a lot of “No Wave” music.

The repetition and cold noisy synthesizers all come together perfectly in one driving sound that easily drowns you into the songs.

The melodies on here are surprisingly catchy and memorable as well, and I was definitely not expecting that from this sort of group.

The ten minute song “Frankie Teardrop” best displays the strength of both sides.

I recommend experiencing it yourself first, preferably in a dark and closed room.

The song builds slowly upon a driving rhythm and after a few seconds Vega introduces the character Frankie Teardrop and the situation Frankie and his family find themselves in.

I won’t spoil things too much but things are not going well for our poor Frankie. As the story progresses and the synthesizers hum louder and louder, Frankie takes some drastic actions for him and his family. The shrieks Vega makes through this song will make sure that next night you’ll sleep with your lights on.

I consider this one of my all time favourites, and I’ll repeat, this is a milestone for Punk, New Wave and Electronic. Everyone even mildly interested in those genres or (experimental) music as a whole should check out this classic record.