‘I hug strangers, I lose my friends … I listen to 100,000 songs,” deadpans Chris Imler on the title track of The Internet Will Break My Heart. The dark underbelly of the internet is the theme behind this record; across its nine tracks, the Berlin-based songwriter and producer flits between topics as varied as porn, cute animals, war and weed with the hasty indifference of someone flicking between apps. It’s a suitably macabre topic for Imler, whose sound is characterised by a strange, nocturnal quality, all chugging instrumentals and monotone chanting.
The record draws on Imler’s trusty seedy palette, skulking somewhere in the depths between Krautrock and industrial dance music. But where new interpretations of these genres can often veer towards pastiche, Imler’s approach feels both refreshing and as raw as the real deal, thanks in part to his frequent co-producer, Benedikt Frey. Un Solo Corpo brings to mind Suicide, with its smoky, skippy melody, gruff vocals and swirls of feedback, but it would also go down well in a club. Agoraphobie, another standout, features fellow underground experimentalist Naomie Klaus’ sultry vocals lurking around western-style guitars and synths that whir and wail like a theremin.
