tfvsjs
Equal Unequals to Equal
White Noise Records
4 stars

Hong Kong post-rock band tfvsjs have released their first album 10 years into their musical career - and it's worth the wait.

Equal Unequals to Equal is a cohesive, sophisticated album, even if the band's name seems like a jumble of letters. But once you know the meaning behind it, this also becomes memorable. It's a nonsense word created from the pronunciations of the Cantonese for "decadence" and "vitality", with the English "versus", in the middle, coming together to form "decadence versus vitality".

[1]The album comprises precise, complex and tightly composed tracks, which manage to retain a frenzied, runaway feel. It undulates in mood - from joltier flurries of quick guitar work and heavy drum beats, to careful breaks and pauses and softer, more contemplative, moments. Days of Daze, for example, is a dizzying mixture of frenetic, upbeat guitar contrasted with more downtempo sections. Its intensity is representative of the rest of the album, with every track featuring suspenseful build-ups.

Each of the seven tracks has its own narrative: building, climaxing and mellowing - although not always in that order. And this is another great thing about tfvsjs - you don't know what to expect next.

It's refreshing to hear such original instrumental music coming out of Hong Kong - and tfvsjs will be one of the must-see acts at the Clockenflap festival later this year.

Amy Russell