Melbourne trio Remit has produced something truly unnerving with their debut album Questions Unanswered and I mean that in the best way possible. This is not music that tries to soothe, it is art that wants you to face the uneasy truths of our divided world.
The album was Written in their now-legendary underground concrete bunker and it is the very sound of that location. All the songs are heavy with the atmosphere of that gloomy, dark room, and thus, the atmosphere is both close and wide. The production, which was done by Simon Maisch and mastered by Don Bartley, conveys this perfectly- raw yet polished, chaotic yet controlled.
What I find most interesting is that Remit does not give ready solutions. Their combination of post-punk intensity, krautrock repetition and jagged rock sensibilities form a sonic environment that reflects our existential lostness. Jordan manages to switch between cool and intense tones of the voice, which perfectly reflects the themes of the album, the separation and criticism of the society.
Songs such as “Are You Compliant?” The aggressive nature of the album is immediately set as the bass and the sharp guitar play off each other, and in the song, Debunker, the electronic accompaniments are used to create a sense of restlessness and fracture. Good Friends is an example of the band developing a sense of cinematic tension and the last song Posthuman leaves you on a dark, forward-looking note that leaves you feeling unsettled in a good way.
The album is a commentary on heartbreak, existential despair, political rage, and all of it feels timely and essential. It is music that appeals to individuals who are made to feel like outcasts in an increasingly inhuman world- and that is most of us these days.
Questions Unanswered is a success because it does not strive to be certain, instead of fighting it, it allows the exploration of uncertainty to be a part of the work, which makes it feel both highly personal and universal at the same time. It is demanding music that is worth the effort of listening to.
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