Discover a dark and different soundscape in this post-industrial debut..
Following several quarters of disappointing employee morale and unprofitable emotional expression, Northampton-based mega-enterprise Utopia Development Corporation is releasing its debut EP, ‘Industrial Area Swimming Centre‘ – a title inspired by one of the most misleading pieces of public signage in the United Kingdom. While early employee reports confirmed that there was, in fact, no such leisure facility hidden among the region’s warehouses, the Corporation recognised an opportunity: fabricate one.
To realise this grand vision of synthetic leisure, UDC commissioned long-term associate and licensed architect Cal Rae (Urchin) to draft an official architectural impression of a lido that could legally never exist. This blueprint serves as both the EP’s visual identity and a conceptual reminder that, with the right paperwork, any dystopia can be rebranded as an amenity.
Across its runtime, ‘Industrial Area Swimming Centre‘ guides listeners through a series of departmental audits on alcoholism, narcotics dependence, relationship-based productivity loss, and – most distressingly – encounters with local government. Pulling unauthorised sonic resources from Mclusky, The Fall, Famous, Nick Sadler, Interpol, The Stone Roses, Blood Visions, Alexisonfire, Everything Everything, and a brief synthesizer moment that Legal insists “accidentally resembles Rammstein”, the EP assembles influences that should never be placed on the same project plan. Yet, through sheer corporate mandate, they cohere into something that openly defies the monotony of standard operating procedures.
Utopia Development Corporation hit record profits in 2021 thanks to introducing a lower standard of living, highly inflated prices and charging their customers by the hour for the dreams they have at night. In 2022 The Corporation, in an attempt to diversify their revenue streams and further increase their margins, filed to be classified under “The Arts” – a venture that would see them able to claim valuable arts funding in return for releasing compositions of music.
Dragged from the depths of mail room, the least vital drones were set to work; Dan Goodrich, Chris Karbowy, Alex Berry-Valentine, Dan Church (& sometimes Dan Battison, sometimes Joe Cowell depending on the needs of the business) were handed free reign to make whatever they wanted. Given the lack of specificity as to the quality of released works in order to obtain said funding, the Corporation do not care what is produced, the only requirement being that they’ll keep releasing the music in order to keep the grant money coming in…
Opening with a forlorn and echoing guitar, ‘Rinse‘ sets the scene to this once industrial landscape, before ‘Repeat‘ builds upon these simple chords with a motorik beat, Alex bringing a bass line that is heavy but funky, with a sharp edge. The guitars are staccato and direct, becoming the metronome to the track. Written during lockdown, it was inspired by Chris having spent much of that time listening to ‘Bremen Nacht‘ by The Fall.
The frantic ‘Art Deco Tesco‘ is punctuated with an almost continuous siren effect from the guitars, while the bass goes off at 100mph. The dealer at the doors of the closed-down supermarket will ply his wares at any cost.. Meanwhile things at home have taken a turn for the worse – ‘Dance, Demons, Dance‘ illustrates the death of a relationship in sonic bursts of rage, regret and fear. Its spoken word ending is poignant.
‘No Factories‘ is an anthem of bitter rage caused by a political generation of abandonment and neglect. “They built this town, They own your home, No factories come, The jobs are all gone”. The drums beat like the final closing of doors, the vocals as gritty as the streets, the guitars hypnotic – Killing Joke meets The Fall in this now-deserted town.
Out on Kill Flamingo on 27th February 2026, download ‘Industrial Area Swimming Centre‘ HERE
- Rinse
- Repeat
- Art Deco Tesco
- Dance, Demons, Dance
- No Factories
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EP review: ‘Industrial Area Swimming Centre’ from Utopia Development Corporation
Following several quarters of disappointing employee morale and unprofitable emotional expression, Northampton-based mega-enterprise Utopia Development Corporation is releasing its debut EP, ‘Industrial Area Swimming Centre’
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