From its pounding opening track “Gizmo”, Emotional Detox seems like a new statement of intent for Camera. Rather than relying on the more traditional Krautrock tropes that were present on their previous releases, this opener has a sense of early eighties electronica mixed with a fifties sci-fi style synth lead. This makes it sound a little like a weird hybrid of The Buggles doing the soundtrack of It Came From Outer Space.
The track begins to get funkier as it goes along and nods more towards space disco icons Milkways in its delivery. It is joyous and infectious, and even though there a some psychedelic lead guitar at points, it feels more like the band are moving away from NEU!-style improvisation and closer to a cosmic discotheque. “Patrouille” seems them returning to the motorik style that was more prevalent on their previous outings, where icy-cold glistening synths hang over a pounding rhythm section. By the time the big chords come in, there feels like hints of Exit-era Tangerine Dream. There is emotional depth to the lead keyboard which adds a touch of melancholia over the piece, and a beautiful touch of some Moog to add to the atmosphere.
Echoed guitar tumbles around at the start of “Ciao Cacao”, that soon turns into a steady beat and introduces a wonderful slice of pop keyboard work. This is foot-tapping stuff that still has a spatial sense of a kosmische workout, but relying more on straightforward melody as the track builds. At times I felt it had more in common with the Yellow Magic Orchestra than any of the early Seventies German artists. It brings a wave of uplifting feelings crashing on the beach of your dreams. “Himmelhilf” starts off with woozy Brian Eno-esque synths that trip over the vibe of tracks from Another Green World. When the lead keyboard comes in, we are taken away from that atmosphere. The drums clatter in, and suddenly we are transported in the direction of Rockets. It’s this wonderful cross-pollination on Emotional Detox that never lets it become too swallowed by genre. Rolling drum patterns introduce “Cosm”, and soon a deep sequenced bass throb begins while a howling synth plays over the top. This one reminded me more of later Klaus Schulze albums as it builds technopolis cities that are the vision of a gleaming new future. “Pacific One” seems more in the vein of recent synthwave artists such as Waveshaper and Code Elektro, clutching the Eighties element and the new retro feeling that those bands embrace. Its soaring guitar part is at times beautiful and full of otherworldliness.“Nicenstein” treads a similar path to its predecessor, bringing in a lush pop sensibility over dramatic swirling chords and synth wibble. It’s the ambience of these pieces that are so intoxicating — they seem to exist in a space and time all of their own but still, somehow, seem familiar. “Super 8” punches itself into being, sounding like a cross between late Seventies-era Stranglers and Tubeway Army, and this was the track that certainly took me back to kind of records I was buying when aged fourteen. It stands its ground well without ever feeling like a pastiche, even though it seems to point at its influences. The closing track is “Feuerwerk”, where big guitar chords chime over a sequenced synth pattern while the drums keep a steady beat. The track feels like a triumphant end to the album, its lead synth part feeling almost like David Bowie‘s “Heroes” in parts. Again, the overall sound is big and almost swallows itself up as it expands like a supernova.
Camera have made an album that not only moves their sound on, but still hints, or uses elements, of their past incarnations. The melodies are memorable and even hummable, and that adds to the overall dynamics at play throughout the LP. This is not just cosmic meanderings, it is pop bliss from the other side of the galaxy.-Gary Parsons-
