New indie/new-wave/post-punk/synthpop from NZ: Anecdata’s ‘Unnatural Immunity’
Unnatural Immunity leans heavily into the post-punk/new wave era (think 1978 to 1984), mixing Anecdata’s usual razor-sharp fuzz guitars and satirical lyrics with pulsing basses, vocoders and analogue synths.
The title track sticks the needle into antivaxxers, with lyrics that could be mistaken for prophecy – written entirely *before* the pandemic was declared, in February 2020.
Book of Facts melds 90’s power-chord guitars and a Manics-sized chorus with driving 80’s drums and Ultravox/New Order keys; Light of the Moon takes Pulp’s Disco 2000 back in time 20 years, and forward just as many; while Pepsi Helicopter is the true story of an X-Files era UFO sighting in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Smart Deco (originally titled Art Devo until the legendary band released a box set of the same name, no joke) is about a timely trip to Napier before the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Unnatural Immunity was – like most Anecdata music – entirely written, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by one guy, working out of his bedroom in west Auckland, without any funding or outside help.
