REVIEW After releasing several singles over the past year, post-punk darkwave outfit Permafrost is back with a new one-off single – ‘Restore Us’, which includes both the original version and two very different remixes by UK producer MAPS (real nameJames Chapman) with Paul Corkett (The Cure, Placebo, Sleeper, Strangelove) creating the Pyxis remix.
Right from the get-go, the original track sounds like it could be from New Order’s early catalogue with guest vocals and a sonic dash of neo-romanticism. The Pyxis remix brings in an industrial tinge that emphasizes the Peter Hook-styled bass, not surprising given Paul Corkett’s background with alternative rock greats. As for the MAPS remix, well honestly James Chapman never fails to impress with pretty much anything he touches, be it his own solo work, production or remixes for other artists. This one is no exception.
Permafrost was formed in 1982 in Molde, Norway by Frode Heggdal Larsen and Kåre Steinsbu during the first post punk era, taking their name from a Magazine track. They released the ‘Godtment’ EP a year later. Robert Heggdal, Trond Tornes and eventually Daryl Bamonte, who had worked with bands like Depeche Mode and The Cure, rounded out the group.
In 2019, they released the ‘Permafrost’ EP to high praise. The well-received singles ‘Closed Eyes’ and ‘Femme Fatale’, both of which reached #1 on the Indie Disko Top40 and top 5 in the Deutsche Alternative Chart and the Native25 chart, were released earlier this year, spending several weeks at the top of many indie charts.
The video’s footage was shot in 1987 by keyboardist Daryl Bamonte, during Depeche Mode’s Music For The Masses tour, while he was working with the band. It shows the energy and enthusiasm of a group on the ascent, in a country concurrently starting its slow decline into the new consumerism era, characterized by a commitment to a laissez-faire modus operandi and putting profits over people…. the cause of our unravelling threads leading to our society’s ultimate undoing – but it’s not just America where this is happening. ‘Restor Us’ is a definite wake-up call to all of us, citizens of this planet everywhere.
Released via the Fear of Music label with distribution by Secretly Noord, ‘Restore Us’ is available on Spotify,Apple Music and Bandcampat permafrost3.bandcamp.com, where their other music can also be found.
