Many thanks to the Hungarian web presence known as Kollektiva for putting in a strong endorsement for the recently released No. album. Note that this overview is not a perfect translation from the original post, in Hungarian:
Based on the previews, we felt that Glasgow-based Canadian Jack Duckworth’s (JJD) experimental, mutant synth-pop project Soft Riot has been working on a very strong album lately… and it hasn’t even been disappointed. S A T ! 10. his album, the beam titled ‘No.’ is a retrofuturistic masterpiece, with which JJD seems to establish a glorious monument to the more than 40 years history of new-wave music led by the synthesizer. What can we call an album that delves as deep as possible into the world of minimalist synthpop mixed with art-punk, while enriching it with a large proto-EBM, raw synth-punk and sparkling avant-garde aesthetics. But don’t think that Soft Riot only offers the warm and familiar feeling of pleasant nostalgia… He took the foundations laid by the style pioneers rather at its atoms and reconfigured the elements with brave experimental solutions in a fresh, contemporary spirit. And the result of this is a modern electronic album in all tones, which bows its deep respect to the greats of the past, but almost immediately turns to the future and shows that the style, even in this sad, dark age, is full of innovation and to say, which besides perfect musical production, at least the ‘NO’. is so focused. ‘ in the album. Jack Duckworth also offers mental nourishment to fans: with razor-sharp words and sometimes scientific poetry, he reveals the dark and bright moments of life and the world, and the big questions that are sometimes so anxious and sometimes caressing.
SOFT RIOT refers to legends at the album launch such as Images in Vogue, The Box, Section 25, Thomas Dolby, Skinny Puppy, Chrome, Cabaret Voltaire, Fad Gadget, Japan and Bill Nelson. The Collective is very pleased to add this amazing list under the name SOFT RIOT. You can find the album on Possession Records and the Dutch Wave Tension Records.