(Photo by Nicole Miller)
In many ways, New York City is the place to be if you are an aspiring electronic dance-punk band. From the experimental synths pioneered by bands such as Silver Apples and Suicide in the late 60s and early 70s, to the beginning of the dance-punk movement with LCD Soundsystem in the 2000s, NYC has been fertile soil for bands that combine angular electronics with groovy and propulsive rhythms.
It is largely no surprise then that, since early 2023, New York trio Public Circuit have quickly garnered a small but fairly devoted following across the city, and wider US. Specialising in muscular synth pop, their music sits neatly in the cross section between Talking Heads, South London’s Working Men’s Club, and LCD Soundsystem. It is not wholly original, but it is vibrant and fresh. Kind of like if the music from Trains, Planes, and Automobiles was remixed for a dark, sweaty club, rather than packed cinema screens at 1987 Thanksgiving. On their tour of the UK and Europe this year, the band are celebrating the release of their second album, the dark and unapologetically retro Modern Church.
You might assume that Public Circuit, after having booked a fairly extensive European tour, have a decent fanbase outside of America. Yet, in the Exchange Basement tonight, it is apparent that this may not be the case. Indeed, as the band get set up, and only a few minutes before they start playing, there are a mere four other people in attendance. This, however, does not appear to phase the band, who take it nicely in their stride. At one point, frontman Ethan Biamont strikes up a conversation with one solo attendee – ‘Pete’ – from the stage itself.
In these strange few minutes before the gig, I feel my position as a reviewer becoming increasingly strange, somehow more personal due to the lack of other attendees. I am happy to report, however, that Public Circuit turn out to be a very exciting and thrilling live band, even despite the notable absence of any recognisable gig atmosphere. Proceedings start with title track of the new album – ‘Modern Church’ – a short and danceable song complete with heavy doses of cowbell, toms, and exuberant splashes of synth atop a robust rhythm section. Keyboardist Sean Holloway is equipped with a pair of brilliantly crisp high-tuned toms, which effectively function as bongos, and he uses them to great effect. Towards the back end of the track, he whacks them in precise and unexpected rhythm combinations, adding a very groovy sensibility to Nelson Fisher’s constant, motoric drums.
During next song ‘Samson’, the band lean even further into pure electronics. Whilst the synth melodies are catchy and creative, the cornerstone of Public Circuit’s sound is their use of percussion. The song is decorated with plenty of automated hand claps and cowbell. Because they sit high in the mix, the sound is clean and crisp, which does well to fill the room, especially when lacking in audience members. Biamont is a charismatic and exciting frontman, going mostly between bobbing his long locks over a rig of keyboards and buttons that looks straight out of Star Wars, and jumping around shouting in aggressive staccato: “keep my name out your mouth!”. When he shouts, he sounds like Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit – by no means a bad thing – whilst his singing voice is reminiscent of Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan.
After a couple more slightly awkward between song silences, we are onto ‘No Faith’, another set highlight. This is perhaps the band’s most outwardly danceable track, and wouldn’t be out of place on a Donna Summer LP. The following ‘Caustic Cross’ – from 2024 debut album Lamb – then provides some nice contrast to the set, playing out more as an electronic ballad, though it perhaps too blatantly draws from Depeche Mode at points. ‘To The Grave’ continues this trend, combining New Order-esque bass guitar licks with a steady, meandering lead synth.
After a mere 35 minutes, Biamont quietly announces the end of the set and encourages the audience, of whom a few had joined through the performance, to buy some merch. I am suspicious that he cut the set short due to the lack of attendees, and a comment I overhear from the sound technician to the band confirms that: “you were meant to be on for more than this”. However, after some encouragement from the crowd, and some light-hearted ‘one more song’ chanting, the band return to play ‘Damager’, a very short but ecstatic track that brims with energy.
And then the set is truly over, and the small crowd is left to mill in a strangely quiet post-show lull. Public Circuit bring a unique edge to the electronic-punk scene of NYC. They are largely more creative and inspiring than artists like The Dare (no disrespect intended), and use pre-established sounds to carve their own personality rather than merely revive other, more experienced bands. Hopefully they draw in bigger crowds for the rest of their tour, and particularly if they ever return to Bristol. Because, though short, this was a confident, at times electrifying, performance from an excellent, exciting band.
Conor Lang
