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Archived Reviews
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Having escaped the limbo that the seeming disappearance of Wire Productions, who released the Noise Process' debut 'Neural Code' (are they still out there?) has inflicted on a number of its artists, it's pleasing that Tim Garelick & Mike Renfield have persevered with Noise Process &, thanks to DSBP, put out this long-delayed follow-up. That the album resurrects the subject of the Twin Towers attacks suggests that the music has been knocking around for a long time now (which was no doubt very frustrating for the duo!) but, on the plus side, they have been able to amass plenty of material & so put together a pretty hefty offering with 14 tracks to get your teeth into (& no remixes, either!) It has to be said that, on first listening, none of the tracks here really jump out at you, with the possible exceptions of 'Desolation' & 'Sub Unit Exe', both of which have a more European feel & choruses reminiscent of Funker Vogt & the highlight that is the penultimate track 'Aftermath' & its excellent sequencing!). This is mainly down to the album's complexity which, in a similar to way to the Tau Factor album (which this isn't quite as good as but holds it own, generally), relies on mood & imagination rather than immediate dancefloor gratification & so needs repeat listens to really appreciate its many facets such as the melancolic but inorganic feel of 'Critical Mass' while 'Still Burning (Underneath The Ruin)' &, of all the tracks here, is the one that alludes to September 11th most clearly. 'Sub Repair Sys' closes the album on a more atmsospheric note, mixing restful melodics with abstract effects that increasingly make their presence felt, like decay spreading through an organic entity! Really, a review like this can only scratch the surface of this album's many twists & turns but, if you're looking for an album that, whilst not particularly challenging, does make a change from the relative simplicity of catchy dancefloor hits, then this is an album well worth taking the time to get to grips with. |
