Metroland offers 2nd EP in a four-part series: 'Cooperation' (original) (raw)
“Cooperation” is the second EP in a four-part series (“Industry” being the first) from the Belgian electronic act Metroland. The new EP emphasizes the key theme of the 2023 World Economic Forum: ‘Cooperation in a fragmented world’.
The purpose there is to encourage world leaders to join forces in tackling the complex challenges of energy, climate, and nature, in addition to investment, trade, infrastructure, emerging technologies, industrial resilience, job creation, skills development, social mobility, health, and geopolitical collaboration in a multipolar environment.
“Cooperation in a Fragmented World” as featured on the album “Forum”, has undergone significant alterations even after the initial mastering process. Metroland therefor opted not to assign specific remix names to each track. Instead, every version was designated with a distinctive and original title. Rather than the anticipated labels such as ‘radio version’ or ‘edit,’ the title was creatively transformed to “Cooperation in a shortened world”.
Also included is a 9-minute extended version, “Cooperation in a Lengthened World”. A gimmic that Metroland wanted to enhance can be heard in “Cooperation in a surrounding world”. This version is made up of a series of sounds that were featured in previous iterations before the original version was recorded.
The first part in the series was the “Industry EP.
The tracks are featured in their original version on “Forum”.
About Metroland
Metroland is a Belgian electronic band formed in 2012 by the duo Passenger A and Passenger S. Drawing heavy inspiration from the electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, their music combines elements of synthpop, minimal wave, and electronic body music (EBM). Metroland is known for their thematic albums, often focused on urbanization, technology, and transportation, particularly the metro systems that gave the band its name.
Their debut album, “Mind the Gap” (2012), explored themes related to subway systems and transportation, establishing their unique conceptual style. They continued this approach with subsequent albums such as “Triadic Ballet” (2015), inspired by the Bauhaus art movement, and “Men in a Frame” (2018), which centered around photography and the concept of framing.
Metroland’s sound is characterized by repetitive beats, analog synthesizers, and vocoder-treated vocals, staying true to a retro-futuristic aesthetic. They have released multiple albums and singles via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix.
Bernard Van Isacker is the Chief Editor of Side-Line Magazine. With a career spanning more than two decades, Van Isacker has established himself as a respected figure in the darkwave scene.
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