Albums by this artist

Karoshi (1999)

Salaryman

Karoshi

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» JONATHAN COHEN | SENIOR EDITOR

Salaryman Karoshi Inch/Parasol, 1999 RiYL: Poster Children, Trans Am, King Crimson

There must be something about retro and synth-driven music that lends itself to anonymity. In the grand tradition of such "top-secret" acts such as Man Or Astroman? comes Salaryman, which is, in reality, staffed by members of longtime indie vets Poster Children. You wouldn't know it from the liner notes or accompanying press release, which makes no mention of anybody directly connected to that outfit.

But Salaryman's droning, paranoid anthems couldn't be farther from the Poster Kids' vintage indie rock. Karoshi, the group's second album, comes off as an oddball cross between Devo's stiff, olde-time new-wave, Trans Am's stiff, updated Krautrock and the rippling instrumental interplay from prog-rock giants such as King Crimson. "Thomas Jefferson Airplane" sounds like the former, while "My Hands Are Always In Water" recalls the kind of instrumental bed King Crimson's Robert Fripp laid down for David Bowie's Heroes album.

Although some of the subtler tracks quickly run out of steam, Karoshi has plenty of rock to keep things interesting. Perfect for blaring down the Autobahn.

JONATHAN COHEN | Jonathan Cohen co-created Nude As The News with his Indiana University mates Troy Carpenter and Ben French. When not traversing the globe for business and pleasure, he holds down the fort as a senior editor for Billboard in New York. Stop him and he just may ask, "what for lunch?"