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Minefield "After the Ball"
format: EP, released: 2000

review by Karl Mohr


Minefield brainchild Tamara Kent is a rare gem gleaming in the hot black ore-fields
of the darkwave genre. With classical training and years of chamber singing to her
credit, she walks into the dark, melancholic land of Goths, gouls, electro-punks
and technodrones, and charms all of them with her mysterious powers of arrangement
and composition. A collaboration with producer and sound designer Neil Parfitt,
After the Ball is a presentation of rock-solid pop songs cast under delicious
mood lighting and crowned with dark atmospheres and sampled textures. Preferring
to hold to traditional arrangements rather than complete electronic abstractions,
this collection of clever songs has the bravado to bring acoustic bass, tambourines
and tremolo guitars into the electronic arena which, mixed with Parfitt's glorious
sonic dungeons makes for a very polished final product. With gigantic, epic
production, especially on the drums, and bountiful added sound effect flourishes
and treats, one is reminded of, but not bored by, comparisons to Flood or Alan
Moulder's work with Depeche Mode. To Kent's credit, her lyrical sentiments and
deeply enchanting voice are more than enough to lock her songs away in a special
place in your heart forever.

All of the tracks on this EP are each exceptional and notable in their own way.
"It's Too Late" is an epic darkwave pop ballad full of forward drive and vampirical
details. Kent's lyrics speak very vulnerably, and directly. A brilliant hook and
soothing arpeggios get the bat-cavers undulating. "I Believe" is a very dark
but relatively short drone-epic with heartful vocal delivery, a thrilling, positive
bridge and acoustic instruments drawing out of the shadows. The title track
"After the Ball" is a slithering laid-back dance through tango moods, hip hop beats,
afterhours circus-orgies and some very appealing sleazy synthesizers. Kent sounds
especially like Madonna singing in the shower on this one. Aaron Carothers plays
a mean bass and Parfitt's drum/shaker production is large enough to be called
illegal. "Control" is a beautiful rapture of dark synths and Flock of Seagulls style
guitars roaring valkyrie calls in the background. With the odd hint of vocoder,
and lavishly bouncing pizzicato basslines, the song makes a huge impact, washes
into a reflective warm bridge, and then explodes into some kind of monstrous
Portishead / Depeche Mode fusion. "Life" - Kent's big vocal spotlight on the EP,
is loaded with dark beauty and sentiment and provides rivers of shimmering harmonies.
The lyrics are like huge roaring waves, they invite, but threaten to be so loaded
with pain and dark emotion, that most listeners will probably choose to sing along
with the metaphors rather than to learn, understand and adore their beauty.

A tight little collection cut together with the songs very fast upon one another,
it ends rather abruptly to leave a listener absolutely bowled over and ready to
repeat the experience. This record sounds incredibly good at high volume, and
doesn't make for good background music anyway - you'll want to listen closely so you
don't miss a single sonic moment or clever lyric.