Hang Linton – ‘Demonstrations’ EP review: an ardent and uncompromising take on modern day Britain

29 November, 2024

Hang Linton with a lifebuoy around their neck, photo by press

Leeds-based interdisciplinary artist Hang Linton makes music that rages against the chaos and brutality of modern life. They’re quickly becoming a must-see on the live circuit: they’ve previously opened for Yard Act, and have been a recent recipient of Help Musicians and DJ Mag’s Electronic Music Award. Now, they’re unleashing their strong creative vision and dynamic lyricism on their debut EP ‘Demonstrations’.

The EP opens with the dramatic ambience of ‘Blue Light Hike’, a track inspired by a racist incident that Linton experienced with their partner, where the pair were unjustifiably profiled and detained by police a few days before a Black Lives Matter protest in Berlin. The track’s instrumentation glistens as it builds to its post-funk centre, where the combination of pounding breakbeats and psych guitar merge to underline Linton’s political messaging. But the beatboxed outro is unexpected: it’s playful, ridiculing the racial profiling tactics of law enforcement.

Meanwhile, title track ‘Demonstrations’ is a powerful piece on anti-racism that epitomises the EP’s emotive core. It begins with a cosmic (if marginally drawn out) backdrop, as twinkling, circling synths and a wave of electronic murmurs envelop a stoic voice that declares: “Racist riots that erupted across the United Kingdom in the first half of August were extensively aimed at Muslims, immigrants and any person that isn’t white.” But soon, the soundscape turns sour: as chants of “free Palestine” and “refugees are welcome here” are heard, the track changes key and becomes discordant, as if to highlight the conflict that hangs in the air.

There’s a sense of tongue-in-cheek humour that runs throughout, Linton amplifying the nonsensical elements of modern British living with contrasting production. ‘Made in Grey Britain’, for example, has an upbeat and bouncy melody that’s juxtaposed with Linton’s lyrics about gentrification and austerity, the sarcasm in the hook’s “la-la-las” adding an air of bitterness. Meanwhile, ‘Radiator’ is an ardent and confronting comment on the cost of living, where Linton takes aim at the unethical forces that have led us to a point of crisis. Their urgent spoken word is underpinned by a gritty bassline (courtesy of Gorillaz bassist Seye Adelekan) and screeching post-punk instrumentation, creating turmoil and anxiety.

Closing track ‘Wishbones’, with its two-tone and psych influences and nod to Jimi Hendrix’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’, is a compelling finale, described by Linton as “an anthem for anyone who feels constrained by societal structures.” It recapitulates Linton’s manifesto on ‘Demonstrations’: a call to action as much as it is a critique of our current political and social climate. With discontent and dogged persistence at its heart, ‘Demonstrations’ is an EP with much to say – if you’ll only stop to listen.