It is about time for a new and exciting plot switch in the popular story called ‘Charmless i’. The journey of the band so far has led through a string of number 1 singles in several relevant Dutch Indie Charts. This also triggered a lot of international attention on social media. Now get ready for the band’s second EP called Next Level, on which the last three singles are featured alongside with the previously unreleased album focus track Time To Waste.

Why the title Next Level? Well, Charmless i’s entire final line up has contributed to the recordings instrumentally as well as vocally. This has led to a nice juicy sound with a pleasant rocky band signature. The musical common denominators of Next Level’s tracks: the legendary Roland TRT-808 drum computer complemented by firm acoustic drums. Furthermore: the use of an analogue Korg synth bass, which in its turn is combined with the pulsating sound of an organically whacked Precision Bass. This leads to a pleasant combination of electronic and organic sounds. Some more essential examples out of the Charlmless i style book: the numerous catchy guitar riffs squirming around several octaves, almost tortured out of a poor Telecaster. And most of all: the very recognizable sound of the front man’s vocals, which has references to Bowie, Ferry and Idol. He sometimes manages to sound like some sort of master of ceremony for a hedonistic orgy you desperately want to take part in.

All these aspects truly push Charmless i’s band sound to the proverbial next level.

The song’s lyrical themes address topics such as hedonism versus family stability, having a fetish for mentally strong women, undergoing the immense pressure of nowadays online media, which one might in fact try to escape by hiding away in a stable happy home or rather by giving in to heavy outdoor hedonism. Some seriously troubled celebrity also enters the lyrical scene (No, not Michael Jackson). This all might lead one to conclude that Charmless i's song writer has decided to save the costs of a shrink by expressing his mental issues in nevertheless interesting lyrics. By now this is however nothing more than a hypothesis.

About the production process of ‘Next Level’: all string instruments were recorded at the front man’s kitchen table, the electronics and vocals were done in the attic of his home and the drums were recorded in Studio GieSound in the Dutch city of Zwolle. In the very same studio Guido Aalbers went loose and applied his renowned ‘mixing madness’ on the track. Mastering was done by Andy Vendette in New York.

So this story is to be continued! After the intended third EP later in 2019 Charmless i plan to consolidate all 12 by then released tracks on an exclusive limited edition vinyl record.

Next Level (EP) is released on BERT music (a division of TCBYML)