The Venus Fly Trap
Time Lapse 1995-2010 – Glass Modern
Like some strange shapeshifting reptilian lifeforce, The Venus Fly Trap have been a band in perpetual motion. From their early posturing as post-punk pioneers, to their current incarnation as darkwave duo, their career has been characterised by constant change. Part two of a career retrospective finds Time Lapse 1995-2010 reassembling tracks from three latter day albums to create an alternative collection for these alternative times. The term “time lapse” refers to the movement of film, and it also makes for an apt title because there’s always been something very cinematic about their sound. Each track contained within could be the soundtrack to some uber-cool sci-fi noir, and cuts such as ‘Gemini Lounge’ are akin to a pillion ride through a neon-lit, rain-soaked, Bladerunner cityscape. At this point in their evolution, The Venus Fly Trap had started fusing razor-sharp electronics to organic guitars, and when coupled with Alex Novak’s android-esque vocals, you have a sound that seems beamed to the present from some dark, distant, dystopian future. Who knows what musical twist The Venus Fly Trap will take next? But, with Time Lapse 1995-2010, their past is carved in stone.
Review by Peter Dennis