A few weeks ago I received an email from the PPM contact form. My life feels insanely busy at all time, but sometimes the timing is just right for these things. I was given a link and I clicked it to hear the first track, “Disappear.” Monolithic drum machine beats were caressed by lowing roars of synth bass. For a few bars it was recalling mid-80s club music. Not a bad thing; but a few bars further in, the guitar descended as if from heaven and anointed our ears with a golden tone that seemed as if John McGeoch was still treading this earth. It was at this point that I was all in on the heretofore unknown pleasures of the Oakland, California duo Yama Uba.

Yama Uba: Silhouettes – US – LP [2024]

1. Disappear
2. Shapes
3. Shatter
4. Facade
5. I’m In Love With A German Film Star
6. Isolation
7. Laura
8. Claustrophobia
9. Angel

That guitar was weaving melancholy whorls of sound to set the tone for vocalist Akiko Sampson’s lyric of embittered regret. Buttressed by their throbbing bass guitar which by then had displaced the synth from the intro. The band were crafting a world-weary sound that still had the embers of defiance holding the possibility of retribution for the weight of the world on her shoulders. If the band wanted to grab my attention with a modern Gothic sound informed by the transformative Post-Punk roadmap laid down by the late McGeoch, then they immediately succeeded with flying colors.

Next the pulsating bass vied with the perpendicular shards of open guitar chords on the dynamic “Shapes.” The superb guitars here were down to Winter Zora who also played sax, for an even better fit into the McGeoch role. Both together made for a beautiful middle eight with the guitars playing diminished chords while the sax casually swanned through the song. Together with the sturdy rhythms from Ms. Sampson, these shapes were meant to be thrown on the club floor.

The pace changed again with the brittle, intimate music box which was “Shatter,” as the scope of the vibe reigned in drastically to create an insular world where the dramatic effects on the song’s repeated title having all of the impact of a gut-punch when they went down. On this song, the subterranean bass took the lead from the guitars for a different vibe.

Motorik drum machine patterns heralding a portentous pick scrape took the defiant “Facade” roaring into place with Winter taking a lead on the first verse before Akiko joined in on the memorable chorus. We love it when a band have more than one vocalist and the chorus to “Facade” was seemingly built for the now as it was simply this:

Then the album pivoted to a memorable cover version that fit right in to the 1979 by way of 1984 feel they were exploring when the ringing chords of “I’m In Love With A German Film Star” effortlessly glided its way into the center of the album. The song is immaculate, of course, and this cover didn’t seek to rock the boat at all; perhaps opting for a slightly more gossamer character, but still insinuating itself into our cranium over the last two weeks for long hours at a time.

The haunting “Isolation” was a lone vocal turn from Winter Zora where the at time, almost spy-fi guitar held center stage while the lowing synths assumed a more background role with the sax. Allowing the full fury of Zora’s vocal climax to really hit the heights. Then the other song from the pre-release single of “Laura” and “Isolation” arrived with anxious, unresolved guitar chords slashing through the Wobbly bass line. All pretty cool, but then Akiko took command of the song with their vocal which bit deep into the neck of the song. Ferocious!

The catlike guitar; flanged and reverbed to hell and back gave the whiff of high Siouxsie + The Banshees before the unexpected funky beatbox cross pollinated some Cabaret Voltaire DNA into the vital mix as Zora and Sampson both sang on the baleful and appropriately titled “Claustrophobia.” Then the concluding “Angel” heightened the tension for the album’s climax, complete with emphatic shrieks from Sampson. Building up quite a head of steam before the tolling of bells brought the intense trip to an end.

This album has become a firm favorite with almost two dozen listens in the last two weeks. It was compelling enough that after my first listen, with headphones while working, I immediately played it again! At 35 minutes, it certainly keeps us wanting more! And thankfully, Daniel Husayn’s superb full range mastering meant that it was a joy to the ears instead of being repellent. For good measure, the label’s Bandcamp page have the album available in DL/CD/LP at good prices [$12/$15/$25] as well as some eye-popping premium packages with hand embroidered artwork to [this is really creative] a custom Yama Uba eyeshadow palette!

All of the music was down to the duo, save for extra percussion from Charlie Vela and Michael Daddona, with Sampson covering bass, synths and drums and Zora with that earworm guitar and sax. I’d not heard of Yama Uba prior to the promo coming over the transom, but Akiko had begun the project in 2017 before Zora came onboard with their catnip guitar that immediately grabbed me by the lapels and wouldn’t let go. Both artists has previously been in the band Ötzi who were new to me, but sampling suggested Cure disciples at work and not quite the intensity and dark glamour that Yama Uba bring to the table.

Speaking of The Cure, the band obtained the services of Pearl Thompson for the vibrant cover art. The cover and inner sleeve are so colorful that it’s a relief that the LP was on good, ol’ black vinyl. The whole package coalesced into the sort of album that immediately assumed the aspect of an old friend I could not wait to reconnect with. And this was the first music from the Ratskin Records label that I’d heard, but hopefully not the last. The label’s mission statement was a powerful commitment to the sort of values that need to be championed, now more than ever, but with music this compelling, their message should have no trouble reaching many more sympathetic ears. Including yours, so DJ hit that button!

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