It was very, very difficult to resist to the (Conditions) trilogy by Chalk. Without even invoking the idea of a new wind blowing in from Belfast, the trio already deserved the spotlight to be turned their way.
Spring 2026 - Chalk now attracts the full glare of exposure — perhaps a little too much. Tense techno-punk, CRYSTALPUNK initially fulfills its purpose. “Tongue” and “Pain” suddenly conjure the image of stadiums filled with fluorescent young punks who had the good sense to sidestep the grand swindle of rock’n’roll, so masterfully staged by a certain Malcolm McLaren, in favor of more immediate, rave-driven trances.
It is from “Can’t Feel It” onward that a shift begins to take shape. Nothing serious — we are still there, for the duration of a kiss. Yet what follows introduces a more ambiguous drift. “Longer” slips into the glitter of a mainstream rock seduction likely to ensnare the more timid ears. “One Nine Eight Zero” does little to help matters, casting a dull shadow, like a passing eclipse.
“Skem” calls things back — pure tech, direct and unadorned — just as we were about to turn the page. “I.D.C.” saves the set at the last moment, while “Béal Feirste” deserves a pause: a fleeting sense of nostalgia, a reminder that we once truly loved Underworld.
“Ache” feels entirely superfluous. And then, this final piece of news — perhaps the most telling: Chalk is said to be unwilling to repeat the (difficult) LP experience. A wise decision. Back to essentials.