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Archived Reviews
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Thanks to recent releases by SAM, Soman & now this latest from Noisuf-X AKA X-Fusion maestro Michael Kloppe, it seems that my long-held belief that this kind of hardfloor industrial/dance/techno (for want of better phrases) is only good for clubs & has very little value in any other environment, is beginning to look increasingly shakey. This revelation actually came to me while really getting into the excellently-titled 'Nervouz Beatz (For Maniac Freakz)' & particularly the (sampled presumably) Spanish guitar & massive orchestral stabs that add a nice counterpoint to the hard beats. This is without doubt the album's highlight & is a surefire cert for club adoration but the fact is there are plenty of excellent tracks to be found here & the album as a whole boasts more hooks than you can shake a stick at, starting with the excellent opener 'Distorted Self-Perception' where the dark, brooding mood brings bands such 'hellektro' bands as Agonoize to mind while the ubiquitous female computer voice that forms the focal point of 'Hit Me Hard (And Hit Me Fast') proves it's worth once again. Sure, it's a simple trick but it adds an infectious edge to any track it touches (just look what it did for Grendel's remix of XP8's Cuttin' & Drinkin', as one example!). Whilst listening to 'Geh Zur Holle' I did find myself wondering who the barmy-sounding woman was (probably some nutcase where he lives!) but it's a talking point if nothing else, I suppose, although putting the Toccata theme to techno beats is nothing less than a masterstroke. I'd lay pound to a penny that it's been done before but it's one of those things than you can never go wrong with. Likewise, the jaunty 'Fine Line (Between Genius And Madness)'-he likes his brackets, does Michael-rolls along quite nicely with some fine sequencing & melodics although 'Doomed' did make me chuckle. It's an appropriately action-packed & robust piece, sure enough, but I couldn't help wondering if the 'we're all doomed' voice sample was taken from 'Dad's Army'- I think we definately ought to be told!!!!! |
