Zeropolis’ Genetic Jail is the latest single from their upcoming LP, 1000 Walls. The track sees the London-based French duo toughen up their EBM beats and post-punk leanings on this examination of family ties and personal freedom.

Zeropolis comprises two French exiles who met in London through the DIY punk scene. The band formed in 2018, fuelled by a joint desire to produce a melancholic yet dancefloor-friendly strain of electronic post-punk, one that featured lyrical themes that ranged from technological fatigue and depression to social inequalities and the pressures of work life and the nuclear family.

The duo shares a similar passion for bands like Suicide, Jay Reatard, and Grauzone. But they also love classic British and American punk-rock, songs where the chorus is king, and the hooks stand out and stay in your head.

Time and the pandemic saw more influences feed into their music-making process. Major influences on their current sound include post-punk bands like Total Control and Diät as well as more industrial/electronic acts like Nitzer Ebb, DAF, and Schwefelgelb.

Genetic Jail offers the listener thought-provoking words and concepts, as it explores the idea that being born into a specific family is a random occurrence that often leads to a misalignment between personal beliefs and inherited traditions or values.

For the band, the track “challenges listeners to question and redefine the factors that shape their sense of self, drawing a parallel between the notion of a ‘family cell’, where people can feel locked, and the ‘blood cells’ that are somehow supposed to define our identity.”

Sonically, the song relies heaving on post-punk, but references Neue Deutsche Welle to reinforce the claustrophobia caused by the oppressive nature of the pressure to conform.

Says Gigi, “Genetic Jail plays with repetitiveness, and brings to mind the sullen, electronic interpretation of a krautrock tune. From the use of a throbbing and hypnotic beat, which remains constant throughout the song, to the blend of delay effects and rotating synth pads in the background.”

“The song's finale serves as a pivotal moment, breaking free from the established pattern–in line with the lyrical advocacy for liberation–and ramps up in a post-punk explosion of raw guitars and choirs, infused with just a sliver of optimism.”

Genetic Jail is released in digital formats to stream and download on the 19th of January 2024 via Todmorden-based record label AnalogueTrash. Zeropolis’ 1000 Walls album is set for release later this year.