Idee Fixe Schallplatten & CDs

Review: It's no wonder Idee Fixe references Synth Britannia in the notes for this debut album from Sauna. Nodding to a BBC documentary that charts the genesis, and subsequent chart rise of synth pop across the UK, while in many ways what's here feels far removed from the retro-futurism of The Human League and peers, there's a DIY atmosphere that more than bridges the gap. Natural talent making raw ideas sound machine tight.

'Carousel' is the perfect example. Opiate lyrical delivery and loose, low-slung rhythm bely the taught framework holding everything together. 'Over' matches for sharpness, taking the tempo down a notch and upping the glittering effects that make this entire record a kind of rhythm & blues-electronic hybrid, only getting deeper and more engrossing on 'Levitate' and 'Folded Hands', like a much more accessible, poppier offspring of Silver Apples.