Leæther Strip
All Hallow’s Eve
Cleopatra Records
Covers have been a major part of Claus Larsen’s surge of productivity as Leæther Strip over the past decade. In addition to the Æppreciation series of cover releases, we’ve had a slew of artist-specific tributes, ranging from the expected (Depeche Mode, Skinny Puppy), to less immediate points of reference for Larsen’s work (Simple Minds). Pitching All Hallow’s Eve as a set of Halloween-themed covers feels like a bit of a stretch given some of the selections (Ministry’s “The Angel” or Human League’s “Being Boiled”), but that doesn’t mean that it can’t carry with it the range of atmospheres and influences that have kept Leæther Strip entrenched as a fixture in dark electronics.
Covers comps are as much about curation as actual execution, and at least on a first pass All Hallow’s Eve will likely pique or lose your interest on that basis. An overlooked classic like Tommi Stumpff’s “Massaker” or an effectively brand new track like Darkways’ “I Like The Night (And The Night Likes Me)”, which only saw its original release this past June, do more to both give a sense of Larsen’s tastes, past and present, and point his listeners to material they might’ve otherwise missed than the pro forma takes on The Cramps and Bauhaus.
But to the execution itself, John Carpenter’s theme to “Christine” is one of the better left-field choices here; long before the wave of renewed interest in Carpenter’s film scores, a kinship in terms of minimalist yet entirely atmospheric dark synthwork could be heard in early Leaether Strip material, and not just the explicitly symphonic Serenade For The Dead. Here, Larsen’s rendition sounds perfectly in harmony with one of the major musical modes which has run through Leæther Strip for decades. On paper, the approach to Siouxsie’s “Peek-A-Boo” – keeping the camp squeezebox but adding industrial stomp – shouldn’t work, but something about Larsen’s replication of the call and response verses delivered in the close, clean growl that he’s used of late cinches it.
Like I said, the Halloween theme to All Hallow’s Eve feels tenuous at times, but the flip side of that is that enjoyment of it isn’t limited to the spooky season. Its scope does a good job of touching upon sounds Larsen’s still mining in his original work, and its hit-to-miss ratio is pretty solid.
