Search - Minny Pops :: Sparks in a Dark Room

Simply Painful

Lypo Suck | Hades, United States | 07/02/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

""Sparks in a Dark Room" sounds like a deliberate parody of how critics perceive that "Factory sound". Whereas bands like Section 25, the Names, and the Wake create alluring, colorful atmospheres and compelling hooks, Minny Pops merely grates with their buzzing, repetitive, completely non-melodic synths, making each song indistinguishable from the next. Some of it's a bit like Tuxedomoon, but without any of that band's playfulness or character. Vocalist Wally exudes about as much personality as the grey walls of a temp's cubicle. He doesn't even really sing, per se, it's just low, monotone chanting, while his occasional attempts at melody reveal a possible case of tone-deafness. His lyrics, when decipherable, sound silly. And 20+ songs of this stuff is mind-numbing.



As an avid fan of LTM's valiant Factory/Benelux/Crepuscule reissues, I was reluctant to write this review. But I'm wondering if they're finally scraping the bottom of the barrel, and if what's left in the dank corners of the Factory et al. vaults should stay there. I'd love it if LTM focused on some other obscure, 80s post-punk artists in desperate need of their loving reissues. They've already done the Passage (yay!). Pink Industry, anyone? John Cooper Clarke??"

Music for Mannequins

Thomas Horan | Chapel Hill, NC | 02/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Minny Pops, a Dutch group on the legendary Factory label, play brittle, minimalistic, electronic, dance music that reminds me of Suicide, Fad Gadget, and some of Kraftwerk's darker moments. The deep, monotone vocals are spoken, not sung, and give the songs a distant, postmodern feel. I imagine this kind of thing gets played at post-expressionistic art galleries in Berlin. Even though it smacks of pretense, I like this album and the generous amount of bonus material that accompanies it."

Finally, they're back!

Michael C. Tellison | 02/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I became a HUGE fan of Minny Pops, I was a teenager. Now I have grown-up children, I'm, well, not I teenager anymore. But, when I listen to the music that once stir my hormones, I feel young again!
That is the power of (good!) music!!!!!"