Last year we noticed the return of this Swedish duo based in Uppsala. This town ever was a kind of epicenter of the Swedish synth-pop scene. Wilhelm Äretun (vocals, programming) and Emma Hortlund (lyrics, synthesizers) are now back on track with a new album featuring 12 songs.
“Falling Apart” is the first song and I have to say a potential hit. This is great synth-pop music carried by a solid melody line, catchy sequences and cool vocals. There’s no better way to take off, but I was curious about the next cuts. I noticed a very positive evolution in comparison with the last year released “Dreams” album. The songs are catchy and well-crafted while melodic sequences run through most of the songs. The tempo is danceable and globally speaking “Dystopia” is a fully enjoyable album with some happy sounding tunes. The title song is the perfect illustration of this successful mixture.
“Niagara” takes us away for a sweet and melancholic moment. It’s a nice break, but I prefer the more into tempo like “Sinister” revealing the best side of the album. It’s a kind of catchy power-pop style, which comes back at “Broken Promises”. This is another attention grabber revealing the writing skills of Wilhelm Äretun. The chorus of this song is absolutely magnificent while I think it’s the kind of song that might appeal to Apoptygma Berzerk lovers. “Dystopia” remains into melody with the cool “This Moment”. We here again can admire the pop genius of Mechantronic based upon a carrying lead and perfect sound arrangements.
Conclusion: Mechatronic has this typical and magical Swedish electro-pop sound that made this country that famous for the genre. This album definitely belongs to the new generation of great Swedish synth-pop groups.