PLUXUS
AGENT TANGENT
EP PLUXEMBURG RELEASE: FEBRUARY 4, 2002 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 5, 2002

"Fas 2", the first real Pluxus full length, sold out before a lot of of fans even got the chance to buy it, including myself. "Och resan fortsätter här", their latest mini album, also went out of print before the band decided they wanted to re-press it.
The Swedes have succeeded in being popular among both synth fans and some formations of the mainstream crowd who view Pluxus as nostalgia. In some ways Pluxus do sound like old computer game scores or Nintendo classics, when it comes to melodies. But the surrounding production and occasional vocoded vocals make them more interesting in the long run.
Having said that, I think "Fas 2" , as it was a full album, was too much. There are only so many analogue orgasms you can take before your ears melt to sugar cones. That's why I really like the idea of this new EP, "Agent Tangent". Five tracks of Pluxus seems to be the perfect dose, and the title track is a playful up-beat, melody driven theme of joy that makes me forget my upcoming Media and Communication Science exam for a few minutes. What follows is material in the vein of "Och resan fortsätter här", perhaps with a slightly more commercial edge, but without losing any of their distinct Pluxus charm. Fast and slow tunes, always with sounds and loops that make you smile that moronic smile.
"Agent Tangent" is a perfect introduction to a band that is both foolishly naïve and irresistibly catchy at the same time. Pluxus fills a very important function in the stagnated music web we are experiencing today.

NIKLAS FORSBERG