Review | Shtëpi – CTRL + ALT + ROCK

By Seth White

Known for fiercely intense and unpredictable live performances, Shtëpi are an up and coming art-punk extravaganza that have bestowed upon us their debut EP, ‘CTRL + ALT + ROCK’, a mind-bending fusion of avant-garde and post-punk flavours that result in a incredibly complete and concise introduction to new listeners of the band.

Recorded in a tiny room in Peckham with engineer/producer Oli Middleton, (IDLES) Shtëpi have created a larger-than-life EP out of a humble recording space, paying homage to their beginnings experimenting with primitive studio setups and a classic D.I.Y punk ethos.

All the while, a strict schedule of three years of relentless gigging (sharing stages with the likes of Geese, Pom Poko, Personal Trainer, Honeyglaze, and Getdown Services) has brought Shtëpi to the culmination of this EP release, the ultimate catharsis of their hard toils as a band up to this point.

This EP displays a wonderful mix of intensity and sincerity, sonically and lyrically. This sort of angry punk rock mixed with complicated and layered arrangements and clearly fantastic studio work, create that art-punk sensibility that is really seeming to catch on these days.

Shtëpi are a band that are well-seasoned players and are definitely on the rise… so if you’re a fan of angry British art-punk, I’d love to formally introduce you to Shtëpi: get into it.