One Track Mind

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The first thing the listener thinks when hearing the song “Kids on Acid” is “Wow–Depeche Mode really have gotten back to their Music For the Masses fighting shape, haven’t they?” However, the fact that Depeche Mode’s last two albums actually have found Depeche Mode hearkening back to their late 1980s prime is not really relevant to “Kids on Acid,” since it’s actually the product of Belgian musician Arne van Petegem, aka Styrofoam. “Kids on Acid” will be released by Nettwerk as part of both the Get Smarter EP (August 24th) and the Disco, Synthesizers, and Daily Tranquilizers LP (October 12th).

The song’s resemblance to vintage Mode is unavoidable, though. The chugging synthesizers, minimalist guitars and distinctly Dave Gahan-esque vocals make “Kids on Acid” sound like it should be resting snugly on a Depeche Mode retrospective, sandwiched in between “Behind the Wheel” and “Personal Jesus.” The fact that it sounds like it would belong there may not speak volumes for van Petegem’s originality, but the fact that it wouldn’t actually suffer in comparison to its surroundings does speak volumes for his skill.

The other main draw of the track is that the drums are courtesy of Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols. This is big news not so much because there was ever such a thing as that identifiable Paul Cook sound–he was always more the affable bloke who just wanted to drum and stay out of trouble as much as possible than a percussion powerhouse–but because it’s not everyday that a member of one of the more legendary bands in rock history turns up on a track from a (relative) unknown. So while it would be a stretch to say that Cook adds anything to the song that an unknown drummer wouldn’t have, sometimes it’s enough to just bring your name along as an endorsement.