Album Review: Interesting Times Gang – ARE WE OK

Leaving listeners begging for more

During the pandemic, as the world seemed to stand still Interesting Times Gang diligently worked on creating music. They recently released their latest EP ARE WE OK. This is a 5-track EP that from beginning to end is smooth and brilliant.

Interesting Times Gang is the solo project of Ian Miller, who is more commonly known for his heavier work in groups like Kowloon Walled City, Strangelight and several others. This comes as the band’s 6th record following their 2021 release Beats, No Rhymes, No Life, which was one of many records released between 2020 and 2021.

First on this EP is the title track “ARE WE OK.” It’s an upbeat, catchy jive that for almost five minutes seems to build element-by-element on top of a repetitive percussion and guitar line. The vocal line shouts out over and over like a ‘90s Prodigy song, demanding the question, “Are we ok?”

“DUCK YOU” starts with a bouncing, pinging synth that quickly travels ear to ear welcoming the listener. Once again, this track features a repetitive vocal line that comes through, however, this time the line is not as easily understood. This seems to make the ears listen in closer, hearing for all the subtle moving parts throughout the track. This one does not seem to be built as “ARE WE OK” did, and rather staying in a stagnate state— but not in a bad way. This seemingly endless loop allows the mind to wander and meditate while listening.

For the middle track, “GODS ON FEEDBACK” listeners may find a familiar tune among the rest of the instrumentation. Starting with a quick soundbite of Bugs Bunny’s famous “Monsters are such interesting people,” it is quickly met with a sampling of the main guitar riff from the 1978 song “Reminiscing” by Little River Band. This instant familiarness with the sounds quickly makes the listener feel right at home.

Closing out the EP is “SINGING IN THE WIRE,” featuring a rich bassline that fills the air. This seems to be the perfect mixture of funk, industrial, and new wave synth all layered on top of one another. The track is a soaring soundscape of ambient sounds that feel light as a feather and all stack together uniformly.

Interesting Times Gang delivers beautiful soundscapes to press play and get lost in on ARE WE OK. This is the perfect EP to have running while working or studying.