The creative process can be very slow. Often it can be hard to create continuous and consistent content and as a result we can have times where acts can go long periods between releasing music due to various different complications.

An example of such conditions can be found in the case of Waterford  indie-electronic duo, Ghetto Amaretto. The duo, consisting of Chris Falconer (vocalist and art director) and Conor Dalton (guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer), was formed in October 2007 and instantly began to generate a sense of excitement and intrigue. The band were initially praised for the way that they were able to push the boundaries of what was thought could actually be achieved with a traditional set up of drums, bass, and guitar. The group would release two EPs between 2007 and 2010, E.P. 1 (2008) and For Every Him, Her, and They (2010).

But, again like so many other Irish acts, just as it looked like Ghetto Amaretto were about to take off and make a proper mark on Irish music, the band went on hiatus. This decision was not helped by the fact that Falconer and Dalton suddenly found themselves living in different continents, with one still in Waterford while the other was plying their trade in New York.

But last November (2018) saw a return to releasing music for the duo with the release of their new EP, Oll Korrect. The new EP was a collection of five tracks that marked a noted move away from the dance-rock feel of their previous iteration and instead we were given a more electronic and production based feel – all the more impressive considering the creation of the EP all happened without the two men ever being in the same room, never mind continent.

The EP was proceeded by the single and leading track Gyre. A track inspired by the ever growing problem of global ocean pollution, this idea is further reinforced by the atmospheric and dark instrumentation that is being used. We are left with a feeling of uncertainty and concern after listening to the instrumentation.

Track no. 2 is another demonstration of the ability of the duo to investigate difficult topics in a wait that is sonically interesting and introspective. Plume is apparently inspired by eye witness accounts by survivors of nuclear bomb blasts. The song attempts to highlight how ridiculous it is that nuclear scale weaponry is still available on this planet, despite the very obvious risks.

Mantle, the third track on this EP, is again another exploration of something that everyone will be able to relate to, the signs that a relationship breakup is imminent. It is another demonstration of the ability of the group to create a sonic soundscape to replicate the emotions that they are investigating in their songs.

Uncanny Valley is a phenomenon that I have always found fascinating – the idea that as technology advances we will continue to see creations that look more and more like actually humans, and yet there will always be something about them that is unsettling and not human about them. This song looks at the idea that the ever growing prevalence of technology in our lives could be actually distracting us from actual real life experiences, and again the instrumentation across the track suggests at this issue that modern man is having to deal with.

Nevertheless, the final track on the album, can be read as a song about how Ghetto Amaretto chose to be resilient and defiant in bleak times, such as members of the band moving to different continents. It felt like the perfect tone to conclude this EP on.

Oll Korrect is testament to the determination and resilience that is needed to make it and survive in the Irish music industry. Great stuff.

MK