Dark Times

DARK TIMES have been attracting attention well outside of the punk scene in their native Norway - this, their debut LP, was nominated for indie record of the year last year in Spellemann, the "Norwegian Grammy", and also for the capital city's Osloprisen. (I would hazard a guess this is not quite the same as, say, NO being nominated for a Mercury Prize. I get the impression that in the smaller pool of Norwegian music it's not that odd for a good indie record to pop up at award level now and then.) Anyway, the LP gives us non-Scandinavians a bigger taste of what they're about after a couple of EPs: eleven power-trio tracks with guitars that balance fuzzy and buzzsaw textures, saturating the sound.

The songs vary between snotty blasts and more mid-paced anthemic numbers: all share simple power-chord sequences with a tendency to trace open-ended patterns, the occasional melodic solo. DARK TIMES hit a sweet spot when they let the tempo loosen, as on "Feel it", blissfully stoned-sounding but retaining a strong drive. A touch of MILK MUSIC without the hall-of-mirrors endless guitar lines. On opener "Be cool", there's a satisfying feel to the way guitar and bass dance gravely around each other. Are those lyrics - "I'm not trying to be cool / I just don't wanna see / Your smiling face has turned away / The future's dead to me" - their justification for wearing sunglasses indoors? Final track "Lies" brings in a darker current. There's a hint of RUDIMENTARY PENI about the chord sequence and a more gravelly, intense vocal performance, but the repetitiveness doesn't quite hold my attention.

The faster songs are less distinctive, and perhaps not as well served by the production as the others. The tempo, although not band-in-a-blender speedy, strips out the expressivity found elsewhere. For me, a song like "Control" needs some kind of rhythmic interest or texture contrast as a counterbalance.

The vocals are short-phrased, staccato, roughly melodic. Occasionally this tips into a RAMONES-y cadence, and the stylized feel this brings to "Be cool" transforms the potential catharsis of the lyrics into a distanced recitation, which gives the song an interesting depth. Sometimes AK snarls, mostly she uses a mid-range wail / shout. Occasionally a softer sung tone appears, like in the reflective "Never know."

The lyrics which jump out on first listen seem quite simplistic, charging social interactions with a turbulent, solipsistic intensity. Lots of "I" versus "you", semi-opaque interpersonal sentiments concerned with people being fake, labels being bad, disappointment in others. "Take a look at yourself / What do you know? / Your poison attitude / has gotta go / Now take a look at yourself / how can it be? Behind the covers you are just the same as me" runs "Labels", and from "I see you" - "I see you changing to fit / I see you faking it / What you want / You get it / What you want / You take it / It's all so easy / Did you ever think what it would be like to be me?" Things get more interesting when you dig deeper into the lyric sheet, unearthing the girl-empowerment message of "Be your own," the impressionistic alienation of "Never know", or the acknowledgment of imperfection in "Give".

DARK TIMES seem more a band reacting earnestly to their immediate surroundings than yet having a wider perspective of their own. Personally, I think it's more interesting to think about what authenticity means than to talk about fakers, to try to subvert stereotypes rather than just be indignant about them, and not to waste time on people who won't look past surface traits. So I need a bit more nuance and sarcasm before I sing along. Still, a coherent musical aesthetic, some good songs, and a feisty attitude are all in their favour, and I'd expect them to continue to win over converts with this LP. - Collective Zine

This oughta wake you up on a cold Tuesday morning.

“Like an old-school hardcore band fronted by PJ Harvey, circa 1992.” – invisibleoranges.com

Coming out of Oslo in 2010, Dark Times released a tape on DIY-labels Ormeyngel (previous featured right here) and Sacred Tapes (US), and one of those songs was included on Fysisk Format’s sampler ”Bransjevelter #6”. This release that we’re talking about here, though, is a four-track 7″ on Sheep Chase Records and on the strength of it we’ll definitely be checking them out at by:Larm in Oslo this year.

Oslo’s Tiger Records count it among the best 7″ releases of 2011, saying; “The nowave/hardcore trio Dark Times’ first 7” is noisy, monochrome rock with an intense cacophonic drive, recalling early Sonic Youth, Swans and hardcore bands like Void and Flipper.”

And there’s a dash of The Beastie Boys punk output in there too, for our money.

Listen to ‘Distrust’ below, preferably loudly. - Ja Ja Ja

You’ll be starved to find a band whose ethic mimics America’s DIY punk scene in Oslo as closely as Dark Times. Three girls who not-so-long-ago started from scratch, had never picked up instruments before– enrolled in music lessons, brainstormed band names, and started gigging and releasing songs (Read story here). It’s a endearing story, insert something Richard Hell could have said himself, “We had no fucking clue what we were doing, but knew we wanted to be loud.”

Since Dark Times’ first cassette tape in January 2011, the band has come a long way, but at the same time, hasn’t (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – staying true to their original intentions). The band has built up a live repertoire, now with a permanent line-up. They’ve released a bunch of EPs that’s gotten strong appeal not just in the hardcore scene in Norway, but following an feature in Maximum Rock’n’Roll, overseas as well. Their uber cool artwork from German illustrator Maren Karlson and thoughtful interviews have only given fans room for love. Now, finally, nearly four years later, the band has released a debut full-length.

The songwriting isn’t a terribly long departure from previous EPs. Immediate musical references of course come to mind, from more consciously 80s LA punk scene Black Flag, The Germs, Dead Kennedys to perhaps less consciously, Huggy Bear, and the plethora of post-90’s riot grrrl bands. Dark Times may not have the most commanding snarls or grooves, but their style is direct and without BS. Opener “Be Cool” has the bubblegum pop swagger reminiscent of the Ramones. Track 4, “Labels” is another great tune from Side A, a perfect punk mixtape piece and a call to action: “Now take a look at yourself / What do you know? / You poison attitude / Has got to go”.

Title track “Give”, and the opener to Side B is also has a bass kicker of a melodic, highly dance-able tune, definitely meant to get the kids going: “I can’t give you / What you expect of me / I can’t promise / To be a living dream / I do what I can / I do what I know.”

Other standouts include, “Never Know” when singer AK in some ways seems more in her element singing then hollering, and “Almost”, which has a sneaky The Bit breakdown typical of sludgy, Oslo’s Black Hole crew. Not too unreasonable considering the recording history and collaborative nature of these bands.

The only criticism, as with many of even your favorite Black Flag album, is there’s only so much you can do with four chords. A slight monotony creeps in towards the last track. But I think what’s more important is, these well-produced eleven tracks convincingly rouse listeners into the spirit of album. And we all know should you ever get jaded with spirit, well— then you can call yourself a boring-ass, serious grown-up.

“Give” is out on LP, CD, and digitally on October 9th - Bad Sounds Magazine