Data Diamond is the sound of FOUR STROKE BARON at their most confidently unhinged.
Originally conceived as two separate EPs (one purely electronic - Data, one heavy -
Diamond) that would then meld together on one full length release, the idea morphed into
what is now the succinct sucker punch of an album that is heading our way at speed.
Heavily inspired by their own work on Data Diamond’s predecessor, Classics, Witt and
Vallarino got to work in their laboratory creating the most potent, concentrated form of
FOUR STROKE BARON possible. Data Diamond - a dizzying sub-40 minute dive into the
deranged psyches of its creators. The tracks on Data Diamond are lithe yet still allow
enough room for idiosyncratic flourishes that mark this out as a true FOUR STROKE BARON
opus. If Classics was a Man vs. Food belly busting plate of indulgence, Data Diamond is an
upmarket Gordon Ramsay dish, served with a side of insanity. Finding a co-conspirator in
Cynic’s Paul Masvidal, the trio get somewhat psychedelic on the album’s eponymous closing
- and most expansive - track, which also features Vola’s Adam Janzi on drums.
Thematically, this is their most murderous anthology to date. Those who find themselves
embroiled in these bloodthirsty tales include a Radio Shack CEO, an internationally
acclaimed cyborg, an accidental trafficker of human body parts, and the leader of a death
cult located in a convenience store. FOUR STROKE BARON’s anomalous view of the world
takes a particularly dark turn across the songs on Data Diamond, yet, as ever the macabre
tragedies are dressed up with catchy melodies, pop hooks for days and a big shimmering
bow of positivity.
