Balrog - The Northern Powerhouse (2022)

Balrog’s debut album, “The Northern Powerhouse” is composed of 8 hard-hitting techno tracks, focusing on heavy, groove-ridden drums, driving basslines and obscure, distorted vocals. His tracks take influence from classic, hard-grooving techno but with a fresh injection of modern, industrial power.
The framework for the tracks was developed in the midst of the fallout from the UK leaving the EU and the numerous attempts to “level up” the north of the country through The Northern Powerhouse scheme, from which the album derives its name. Conceptually, the album is an attempt from the artist to dissociate himself from Brexit and the conservative government which has consistently stigmatised the most vulnerable in UK society and spread lies on an industrial scale in order to push forward their agenda.
Through the album, a series of linked tracks mirror the raw divisions in society, not just between The North and The South of the UK, but also more widely representing divisions throughout the world. As the album develops, a more hopeful outcome is suggested, seeing the culture of underground music as having the potential to build connections and incite resistance in an increasingly divided world.