CHALK – Conditions III EP

Label: Nice Swan Records
Released: 21st February 2025

Irish garage-punks Chalk took to the harsh landscape of volcanic Iceland to top out their trilogy of ‘Conditions’ EPs, and it was worth it. Continuing to infuse sharp house beats with thick guitar lines and high-tempo bops, the rugged, unpredictable landscape that surrounded the recording bleeds its way into the four songs on this latest release, creating an atmosphere that is addictively unsettling.

German-spoken opener ‘Leipzig 87’ is a swirling industrial track, taking you to an East German underground rave, swirling and vibrating through your bones with an almost metallic edge. That trance-like style extends into the start of ‘Afraid’, where a high BPM techno-rave palette descends into dark, driving post-punk, replete with thick, grimy guitar lines that add to the generally devilish vibe of this EP. ‘Tell Me’ brings a sexy, almost Krautrock feel to proceedings,before ‘Pool Scene’ closes out the EP by jumping off the cliff edge and falling through the air, sparking to life as an ominously slow first minute catches alight, making way for a deliciously dark dance rhythm designed to get the room bouncing.

‘Conditions III’ is an EP that is designed to make the uncomfortable, well, comfortable. Always on the edge of chaos, stitched together by three very talented musicians, it is the perfect end to what has been an exceptional trilogy.