ONETWOTHREE - ONETWOTHREE (2021) Hi Res

Formed by Kleenex/LiLiPUT member Klaudia Schifferle, Madlaina Peer of the Noknows and Sara Schär, bassist for the Kick, ONETWOTHREE brings together the talents of musicians who were involved in some of the more exciting bands to rise up from Switzerland's punk underground in the late '70s and early '80s. Though the band formed around the lighthearted premise that all three members were bass players, ONETWOTHREE's self-titled debut finds the band developing ideas well past their novel beginnings and expanding on the jagged but danceable sounds of their post-punk roots. Album-opener and standout track "Perfect Illusions" uses multiple bass parts in its arrangement, but also implements a driving, phaser-washed beat and casual harmony vocals as a counterpoint to the more declamatory lead vocals. It's a minimal and punk-injected groove and sets the stage for the rest of the album. "Give Paw" brings a burning synth lead into the mix, and "Jamals" augments the melodic interplay of two basslines with eerie chimes and keys. Rather than stick to a formulaic post-punk approach, ONETWOTHREE experiment with arrangements and styles as the record goes on. "Clouds" still uses stripped-down rhythms, but pairs congo-like sounds with wispy atmospherics and goth-tinged guitar leads. "Things" leans into dubby production, soaking sound effects in delay and bouncing them off of the buzzy synth bass, steady drum machine rhythm, and paranoid vocals that form the foundation of the song. ONETWOTHREE carry all the playfulness, exploration, and fizzy excitement of their earlier bands, reaching the peak of fun, funkiness, and weirdness on "Buy Buy." It's a tune that would sound at home on a playlist with Essential Logic, Delta 5, Chandra, ESG, or Bush Tetras, delivering moments of surreal lyrical randomness ("Give us flowers from outer space!," "Look out! More funky underground!") with a rhythm-heavy instrumental that's hypnotic and hooky in an alien way. ONETWOTHREE's shared post-punk pedigree means they could have continued circling back to ideas from the scene of funky punks they helped launch decades earlier, but their debut takes on a new excitement in its willingness to try different things. It's a strange and captivating record, one that might seem familiar at first, but becomes more odd and more interesting the closer you listen.