Slaving To the Groove: My Review of The Chain Gang of 1974

Katmin Mohager

Katmin Mohager, who also goes by the moniker The Chain Gang of 1974, was a touring member of 3OH!3 when he broke off and started making music of his own - deejay-oriented synth pop with its head in the clouds of the 1980s (rather than anything from 1974.)  Mohager has said that, upon hearing Tears For Fears, the desire to make music was awakened within him, and it shows.

For this review, I listened to The Chain Gang of 1974's sophomore release, "Daydream Forever", released in 2014.  To tell you the truth, it took a long time for me to kind of like this album.  It took several listens before I "got it".  And that is not to say that it isn't catchy - it's as catchy as a skunk trap in Lousiana.  The music is upbeat, frothy, fizzy, but with not a lot of substance.  Like watching a Zoolander movie.

But after a few listens, it starts to get to get under your skin like chiggers.  It's actually a pretty cool album.  How subversive is it to have a synth pop song called "Death Metal Punk".  The album starts with "Ordinary Fools" which has a fake computer beat set to a guitar with a Deep Purple grind to it that both nicely offset each other.  "You" has another electronic beat that soars into a Tear For Fears-style anthem with an OMD hook.  "Sleepwalking" is the main single, and it is an unstoppable groove that will put a wiggle in your hips.  It also showcases Mohager's smooth, pouty voice.  "Lola Suzanne" is probably my favorite song with its New Order vibe and high-end bass that would make Peter Hook weep with joy.  "Miko" blends the understated resonance of drum & bass with assertion of a power ballad.  "Moksha" continues with the experiment of blending electronica with rock.  There are also some remixes of the singles on this record.

Like I said, not really my kind of music.  But there are three or four really good gems to be found on here.  If you so choose, you will slave to the grooves in this selection.