“Turn to Crime exists within its own pocket universe amid the Detroit music scene,” wrote Protomartyr’s Joe Casey of Derek Stanton’s solo project turned proper band, Turn to Crime. “Whereas some are beholden to the almost institutional credo of ‘loud fast rules’ while others subscribe to the orthodoxy of established local genres like techno or garage rock, Turn to Crime stubbornly burrow through the ice cracked concrete to mine its own form of sonic magma.” This “magma” is informed by Detroit’s rich rock’n’roll past, including bands like The Stooges and MC5, who Stanton referenced with a heavier hand in his previous musical project, Awesome Color. But it’s also a nod to the pioneering synth-punk of Suicide and the electronic-flavored variations on post-punk that followed.
And so, Turn to Crime finds itself in the throes of throwback culture, much like the go-go dancer who stars in the band’s new video for “Light.” A highlight of Turn to Crime’s recently released sophomore album, Actions, “Light” roars into action with a squirmy little guitar riff and junk-store percussion that borders on kitsch. You wouldn’t think it upon first listen, but its steady bounce makes for a killer go-go soundtrack for dancer Anna Copa Cabanna, who shows off an impressive collection of vintage get-ups (and matching projections) here. Flavorwire is pleased to premiere the B.A. Miale-directed video below.
“I think people want to label music and find a place for it, generally looking backwards,” Stanton tells Flavorwire. “With Turn To Crime, it’s hard to pin down because every song is a little different from the next. We always get people trying to compare each song to another band from the past. I think any music I make will generally be compared to older stuff simply because of its production value. I am not interested in the perfect or slick-sounding records of today, and I have no interest in being dated by current production styles which, in my opinion, have no dynamics. Therefore making people think it has to be a throwback, rather than just doing what you want and making something new.”
Actions is out now on Stanton’s own Mugg & Bopp Records.