"Kitbuilders are an electro duo from Cologne, Germany, made up of Ripley (vocals) and Benway (keyboards). Since 1997, they’ve blended Electro, New Wave, and IDM influences into a unique sound that helped shape the Electroclash and Electropunk scenes. Their music has appeared on respected labels such as Ersatz Audio, Breakin’ Records, and Play It Again Sam, and has earned airplay from influential DJs like John Peel and Laurent Garnier. Kitbuilders have performed at major festivals and renowned clubs across Europe and beyond, sharing their distinctive style with audiences worldwide."

The previous text was lifted verbatim from Kitbuilders' Bandcamp site. This is my first acquaintance with them, and they are probably much better known in Europe than the U.S. The CD came with a lot of promo material on paper, but music speaks louder than words, so let's dive in, shall we? First track, "Tenderness" sounds like typical beat-oriented electro, and Ripley's voice kind of reminds me of The Residents. "Dark Angels" is more experimental with effects-laden synths, an old-school beat, and lots of sonic manipulation. This could easily have been done in the '80s/ early '90s, and sounds it. "No Good (X Version)" reminds me of XEX, an '80s avant synth-pop outfit from New Jersey. The song is okay but goes on too long. The entirely instrumental "Slow Dance" makes use of oddly melodic synth arpeggios and could have been inspired by early 1970s Kraftwerk. "Follow Me (Concrete Version)" features a relentless beat, and aggressive bass. The vocals don't come in until about 1:20. Ripley's vocals on this one are reminiscent of Cosey Fanni Tutti (of Chris & Cosey) mixed with Lydia Lunch; darkly seductive with a touch of menace. "Get Your Glow On" is a rather happy instrumental tune, perhaps rave-fodder for the completely molly-dosed. "Poison Me" naturally takes on a more menacing tone. This track squarely fits in the Suicide-style No Wave genre. I think the verse is stronger than the chorus on this one but still pretty cool.

Overall I think 'Stupid Games' is really cool album, in spite of some tracks that seem to go on a bit too long, and these folks can pull it off live as well, as evidenced by their "Stupid Games" live video. (A lot of the music is sequenced and programmed but Ripley's vocals are obviously done live real time.) Both the CD and the aforementioned 7" vinyl are limited editions (100 copies for the CD, 40 for the 7" single), The CD also has a bonus remix of "Tenderness" not found digitally on their Bandcamp site. I think the retro artwork by David H. Sekulla / Yeti Popstar is great. (It's like something my synth-pop band Chemistry Set might have done back in the '80s.) I've added "Stupid Games" to my 'New Wave No Wave Next Wave' Spotify playlist, and "No Good" to my 'Electro-Q-shun' Spotify playlist. You should too.