| Artist |
| Electro Synthetic Rebellion |
| Title |
| Distorted Memories |
| Format/Cat |
| CDEP |
| Label |
| Own Release |
| Style |
| EBM |
| Date of review |
| 21st February 2010 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 8/10 |
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Hard-Wired EBM Reviews |
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| Home | |
| Review ratings: | |
| 1. Avoid | 6. Not Bad |
| 2. Poor | 7. Good |
| 3. Weak | 8. Very Good |
| 4. Worth The Effort | 9. Excellent |
| 5. Shows Promise | 10. Must Have |
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I guess it's a sign of the times that French musician Vince Pujol has had a bit of a hard time getting this EP released in the manner which suited him IE, on proper CD rather than CDr. His determination has payed off, however, with this self-released EP (labelled as such due to the high number of remixes speckled throughout no doubt) which runs to over an hours' duration & features a good few new tracks as well, not least the title track which kicks proceedings off in typically fine form with strong melodics being backed by some meaty rhythms while 'Low Life' & 'Two Thousand Years' should also keep his fans happy. There's also a new demo that should grow into a decent track as well as the first fruits of Vince's new project with one Jerome Caulier, Joint Vision, another strong track that, on the face of it, stays pretty faithful to the established ESR sound (not that there's anything wrong with that, of course & there's plenty of time for it to gain a more distinctive sound) & is hopefully indicative of more good things to come. Pride of place, however, goes to the cover of Public Relation's 'Eighty Eight' which has got 'electro classic' written all over it, thanks to its plethora of infectious & at times, soaring melodics that really hit the spot; in fact, my excitement of the track's excellence is only tempered slightly by the fact that it's not an ESR original but, despite this, it's a superb track that deserves hearing. The remixes, mostly of tracks from his last album Post Industrial are, on the whole, a pretty decent bunch, too, as, for the most part, the strong melodic content of the originals is retained with the 'Dead Or Alive' mix of 'Cyberthief' (no, it doesn't mean Pete Burns did it!) & Psyclonicold's robust reworking of 'Low Life' proving particularly worthwhile. So, a good value for money offering then & it's limited to just 100 copies, too, so you won't want to dawdle!! | |||||||||||||||||||
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Blimey, they're not messing around with a title like that are they? Mind you, the Aussie duo Bones & Sik have got previous in this respect, they're last album was called Kill Everyone!!! This is their third release &, in comparison to their past output, this is a more varied & darker offering with the longer than usual track durations allowing the duo to emphasize some more atmospheric elements which does mean that certain tracks do take a while to reach their full potential although patience is rewarded as 'Kombat' or the new-wave influenced 'Crusade' both eventually prove to be fine up-tempo numbers. This is taken to its logical conclusion during the 7 minute 'Incise' which sets an uncompromising mood through a mixture of offbeat effects, military voice samples & that, via a bizarre & somewhat overlong abstract section ends up with an overwhelming closing section that sees their sound scaling new heights in sonic terror. Overall, this is definitely a welcome development in making for a more varied listen but it's also likely to limit its club appeal to some extent. Throughout, Bones' vocals prove as distinctive as ever, adding a more individual, almost punky edge to what is otherwise a pretty polished, albeit spikey, sound; this pays off in spades on pretty much every track, be it the no-nonsense opener 'Mistaken For God', the furious, hard-hitting 'Demonizer' & particularly during the darkly atmospheric 'Exterminate' which again sees them widening their style palette to good effect, even if the title will always have Dalek connotations for us in the UK! Old-skool flavours should find much to love in 'We Work' which brings to mind Die Krupps et al, both in the lyrics & the music but this one is certain to go down well with hardcore EBM heads & while 80s lovers might appreciate the cover of Ultravox's 'Sleepwalk' I actually thought it a tad amateurish, the sort of thing a newbie band might have done. Overall, though, the duo deserve applause for refusing to take the easy way out & offering nothing but a load of dancefloor fillers, this is an album that needs a few listens to fully appreciate its facets but it is worth it, just a word of warning, be careful not to strain your eyes trying to read the titles on the back cover!! | |||||||||||||||||||
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No doubt Chris, Olli & Mike are sick to their back teeth of explaining to all & sundry where that title came from but if they will insist on inflicting such tongue-twisters on us then they deserve everything they get, if you ask me! Anyway, what we have here is another dose of patented Agonoize hellelektro mayhem, 21 tracks of it, to be precise (or even more if you're dedicated enough to fork out £40 for the box set!), with preceeding single 'Bis Das Blut Gefriert' kicking off &, in the shape of the 'videoversion', ending proceedings in fine style. That it's very much business as usual from here on in, harking back in some ways to the 999 album rather than progressing from Sieben means that this will keep the hardcore fans happy but is unlikely to gain them many new ones but, given that you are a fan, there's plenty to keep you amused here, not least 'I Am' which is sure to receive a rapturous air-punching whenever it's played live, the lyrically & musically harsh 'Paradox' & 'ManMadeGod' which, by Agonoize standards, is almost poppy while, over on disc two, 'Pornomagcentrefold' & the pacey 'Die Emotion' are both worthy of notice, as is the opening 'My Battlefield' if only for the whispered lyrics which do something to ring the changes (the music is slightly more restrained, as well!). I'm not sure why, but there are some definite women (or, perhaps more accurately A woman) hating on this disc with some female going through it during 'Psychopath' & 'Bloodqueen' but, just in case anyone might think the lads have turned nasty the inner sleeve informs us that 'Agonoze' (sic) are 'against child abuse' so that's alright then!!! | |||||||||||||||||||
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If you enjoyed Jaeger 90's Muskeln & Kuesse then you can stop reading this review right now & rest assured that this follow-up will float your boat in exactly the same manner. That's mainly down to the fact that Thoralf & Vigo have hardly pushed themselves creatively nor widened their musical scope, producing album covers very much the same ground as its predecessor; in other words, an uncompromising minimalistic old-skool sound topped off by repetitive DAF-like vocals but lacking the infectious edge that made M&K stand out; true there are some neat touches such as the relentless bass & rhythmic backing that drives the slower 'Richtung Westen' while in 'Dessau' & the closing 'Unsere Jugend' they've got a couple of dancefloor smashes on their hands. It's fair to say that this isn't in the least bit innovative, the unusual backing effects that pop up on 'Zu Jung' & the zippy 'Lass Mich Doch' being as surprising as it gets. Still, this isn't likely to be a problem for their fans so if you can't get enough of that old skool stuff this will suit you down to the ground. | |||||||||||||||||||
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In many ways, Rotersand are the perfect electronic band as each member brings something tangible & very different to their sound. Gun's distinctive voice is the soul, Rasc provides the deep musical structures while Krischan makes the band the dancefloor monsters they are. This perfect recipe has never been more evident than here as they've again proved their mastery of producing music which moves your heart & soul as much as it does your body; in fact, every element that contributes towards the Rotersand sound has been blended even more perfectly than usual here as the album explores a variety of styles & moods as tracks that are both dynamic & yet soulful share space with more thought-provoking topically-themed numbers such as 'If You Don't Stop It....' (which is particularly inciteful, if you think about it!), 'We Will Kill Them All' where the subject matter is strangely at odds with the mellow mood (it still works, though) & the martially-minded power of 'War On Error' to provide a little under an hour of enthralling, unforgettable listening. The acoustic-based numbers have long since been a Rotersand staple with 'Yes We Care' opening the album on a restful but lyrically thought-provoking note while 'First Time' appears to be building towards an epic but gritty rock climax until it suddenly takes on a powerfully danceable feel that gives the track a totally new outlook as it progresses. It goes without saying, then, that if you're going to be venturing anywhere near a dancefloor over the coming months you'll be hearing plenty of tracks from this album with the most obvious candidates being the dynamic & robust 'Bastards Screaming' & the surging brilliance of 'Speak To Me' as well as 'Under The Stars' which is utterly danceable but totally bittersweet & romantic, too, just take a listen to the lyrics to hear what I mean, it'll fair warm yer cockles & no mistake, I tell yer!! As the album nears its climax it takes on an increasingly wistful tone during the chorus of 'Gothic Paradise' (does this refer to either Leipzig during WGT or Whitby, do you think?), in sharp contrast to the spikey bass work before 'A Million Worlds To Lose' ends the album on an epic but rather sombre mood, so sombre in fact that the climax is almost heartbreaking in its emotional intensity. It certainly is a fitting end to a superb album that sees Rotersand getting better & better with every release | |||||||||||||||||||
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Proving that sometimes there's no substitute for experience, Tyske Ludder's output since their 2006 comeback album Sojus has been nothing short of brilliant & this latest album continues this run of form. As soon as 'Frya Fresena' gets into its stride it's clear that the band's rugged, punk-edged EBM sound has lost none of its potency & from here on in brilliant track follows brilliant track. For all that it's obviously synthetic there's a certain organic feel to the TL sound, not just because of the looped guitar sample that forms the basis of 'Shokkz' or Zero Kelvin's red hot guitar licks that grace 'Bastard' but also thanks to Albert-X's vocals where he gives 110% throughout, seemingly shouting himself hoarse; there's none of yer effects malarkey here, sonny, this is totally real & demands to be felt as much as heard. Such comments apply equally to the rugged but danceable & utterly infectious 'Narben' & the in-your- face/ hard-as-fucking-nails musical shockwave that is the brilliant 'Gebet' which whips up a storm through some superb bass sequencing & banging rhythms & is surely one of the hardest & most utterly superb pieces you're ever likely to hear. Doubtless any techno fans will have something to say about 'Fixthebeat' but it's as danceable as any of the techno the band hate so virulantly (but with more structure, of course!) while Jesus And The Gurus' 'Panzer' is transformed into another furious EBM rout before 'March' brings the band's political stance very much to the fore once more, giving the American Civil War anthem When Johnny Comes Marching Home a modern twist, both musically & lyrically. It's another brilliant piece that says as much lyrically (& thus, preserves the rebellious ideals of punk) as it does the body (it's still totally infectious), thus proving that music can still be important & have something to say; for sure when people talk about music being the perfect precursor to revolution this is the sort of thing they're talking about, such is its overwhelming power & dynamic force. These German whores (that's what their name means in Danish, fact fans!) prove that a real message, when delivered within such perfect music, makes the usual horror/blood subjects sound like immature rantings, this is one that should everyone should own & is quite possibly the finest album of 2009. | |||||||||||||||||||
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War has long been a fruitful source of inspiration for EBM acts, as we all know & the ongoing situation in the Middle East has provided Rexx Arkana & Dracos with further food for thought on this, their second release as FGFC820. They've also taken on the whole 'camouflage' look as well as reusing the title 'Killing Fields' that Funker Vogt have already used (in fact, the sleeve picture sees Arkana bearing a striking resemblance to Gerrit Thomas!!) but with 14 tracks on offer, including 3 more 'Resolution' pieces that provide some short interludes, continuing over from their debut Urban Audio Warfare, their music covers a greater number of EBM bases while maintaining a definite cohesive feel. The stompy rhythms that form the backbone of the album are reminiscent of X Marks The Pedwalk so there's a certain old skool feeling here that compliments the macho elements of the album, most notably during the pacey 'Vengeance' with its Stuka samples & all as well as the opening 'Hello, Baghdad' which starts with some appropriate Arabic music samples (or if they're not they're totally authentic-sounding!) but soon shows its true colours. However, it's when there's some sort of contrast to such elements that the album it as its best, such as the funkier edge of 'Ich Bin Ein Auslander' (yes, the PWEI one!) or the excellent sequencing that adds an infectious melodic edge to 'Momenum', the additional drama of 'Emotion' or the more melancholic mood that suggests a more intimate line of inspiration while also resembling a more rugged VNV Nation (well, they're earlier stuff, anyway!). As the album progresses a slight touch of sameyness creeps in with although, when taken in isolation 'Not The World I Remember' proves another solidly enjoyable number while the samples that grace 'The Heart Of America' make some good points about government surveillance & so on as the typically muscular sections alternate with more melodic parts tailor-made for those 'hands in the air moments! Overall, then, this is another fine album from Rexx & Dracos & with a running time of over 66 minutes it certainly feels suitably epic & a good deal more involved than many releases. But if even that's not enough for you, the limited edition box features an extra disc of remixes from various EBM/electro artists so you can't say you're not getting plenty of bang for your buck! | |||||||||||||||||||
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Just a look at the title & a quick glance at the cover, featuring Torsten Kroke (for it is he) in black latex bodysuit & mask pretty much gives the game away as it what this album is about before you even listen to it. So, if you're a fan of Suicide Commando & the like you can stop reading now & make this your next purchase as it brings you all the harsh vocals (in German natch), pounding beats & dark melodics you could ever wish for. Luckily, KF is one of the better newcomers with plenty of exciting tunes to tempt the hard electro fan & boasting a crisp production that brings out the power of such hard-hitting tracks as the punchy opener 'Blood Game', 'Kaltes Verlangen' & the furious closer 'Terror Night' to name just three, as well as the excellent 'Death Train' which benefits from some truly excellent riffs that make this one of the album's highlights (just ignore the dodgy title, OK?). As mentioned earlier, the power contained in these tracks elevates this album above certain other newcomers; a lot of the credit for this goes to Thomas Steuer's production, the importance of which cannot be underestimated; the ultra-powerful but crystal clear rhythms that underpin 'When the Angels burn' (their dodgy capitalisation, not mine!) in particular proving that his fee was obviously money well spent! This is one of the few tracks that actually moves away from the dancefloor concerns of the rest of the album into more atmospheric/impressionistic styles which can prove tricky for some artists but Kroke handles it all very well giving the album greater depth & versatility (more of this sort of stuff on future releases would enhance such attributes still further!); I suppose 'Killing Dog' with its repetitive abstract noise & hardfloor elements could be said to do the same but, like most of its ilk, it quickly loses its appeal in the cold light of day. Overall, though, this album manages the balancing act of being dancey & an enjoyable home listen pretty well &, as such, is well worth checking out if you're a hard EBM fan. | |||||||||||||||||||
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To start with a conclusion; this album from Drazen Sucic & Sascha Pniok is never going to win any awards for innovation or originality as it sticks to the established dark electro style pretty faithfully. However, this soon proves not to be a problem as it provides a constantly engrossing listen throughout, not only due to such neat touches as the saucy samples that add extra spice to 'Aroused' (come to think of it, some of the cover art's a bit naughty, too!) but mainly due thanks to the duo's undoubted talent for laying down some strong melodic riffs that make for a high ratio of memorable tracks. 'Glaskaastentraum' proves to be a solid but unspectacular opener but the album really gets into its stride with the following 'Promiskuitiv' which, through a potent combination of pounding beats & soaring melodics certainly has what it take to be a big hit, a view that is seemingly shared by the record label given that there's a video for this track as well. However, there are a number of other tracks that should be equally capable of a high level of acclaim, including 'Gezeugt In Hass' which proves to be the album's highlight & the sixth track 'Friss Mich' (which is labelled as SEX rather than six, oh my aching sides!) which both impress still further with soaring lead synths that give the tracks a spacious feeling that contrasts nicely with the typically harsh vocals. Likewise, the closing 'Menschen' rounds things off with some rampant synthleads reminiscent of Gary Numan circa 1979 which is, of course, always a good thing &, while we're on the subject of comparisons, it's fair to say that the spirit of Hocico makes its presence felt on a number of occasions, particularly during 'Malfunction' & while it never comes close to matching their textural mastery (that would be a bit too much to expect from a new band) it's still a punchy EBM slice that should gain a number of fans. The instrumental 'Infinity' adds another string to their bow with its sultry & exotic mood complimented by some equally exotic samples & a deep bass drone that not only provide a welcome contrast but scores extra browny points by showing the band taking instrumentals seriously rather than using them as a short weird noise interlude! All of which just goes to show that there's still plenty of inspiration left in the dark EBM world & it's good to see these newcomers having the potential to give the big boys a run for their money! | |||||||||||||||||||
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Now here's an artist whose obviously more than happy to cover most of the old skool cliches in just the title (I'm assuming you know some basic German here!) &, sadly, the 12 tracks follow suit by being totally predictable, safe & samey to the extent that listening to it all the way through is something of a chore. It's a shame, really, as, after the obligatory 'Intro' the album gets off to a promising start with 'Warum' with its mix of solid rhythms & bass sequencing but it quickly becomes obvious that the album has little to offer beyond this & so it just rumbles on & on, the monotonous flavour of every track meaning that the lure of the skip button quickly becomes irresistible. Some might feel it unfair to level such accusations at one particular artist when many of his label mates are doing nothing outwardly different but this album just seems that much more monotonous than any of the others to the extent that even the most ardent old skool lovers might do well to approach this one with caution. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Of all the new bands on Electric Tremor, the duo of D. Sahs & Joanna Rein, who previously went under the name of Judge. Dred (so this new name is a definite step in the right direction!) do stand out from the pack somewhat for their decidedly darker, harder take on old-skool EBM which adds an extra something to the well-established style (& at over an hour it's a sight longer as well!!). Indeed, the opening third of this album is most intriguing with 'Cold As Stone', where the duo are joined by one Johan Damm coming across in a most forbidding manner by means of its towering bassline & unrelenting darkness that sets the scene nicely for the furious 'You Suck!' which, despite moving closer to the established old skool sound, impresses through its sheer anger while the harsh vocals of 'Violent Process' as well as the changing tempi, keep the interest levels high. That's not to say that it doesn't eventually fall victim to the malaise that most old skoolers are prone to & with 15 tracks it's likely that only the most dedicated old skool enthusiasts are likely to make it all the way through to the end. It does, at least, reward partial listens with some enjoyable tracks waiting to be found although if they were to add more standout elements such as the mixed male & female vocals that, in unison with some excellent bass work, add a much more memorable edge to the penultimate 'Required To Nothing' & the guitar that pops up on the closing 'Killing Fields (Crusader Mix)' then they'd make their mark by staying true to their old skool roots whilst giving the music wider appeal & I'm sure they wouldn't say no to that! | |||||||||||||||||||
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Of all the Electric Tremor artists the duo of Thoralf D. & Stev seem to have gained the largest profile so far (a recent well-received gig at the Amphi Festival being just one example of this). It's not hard to see why, either, as, while they stick very much to the uncompromising old-skool EBM style that is their label's stock in trade, certain songs seem just that little bit more infectious thanks to some clever riffs & other little touches such as sounds of ringing metal that grace 'Wie Du' & the manic, rock 'n' roll-like 'Muskeln' stand out from the crowd. Add to this repetitive, DAF-like vocals which are a constant of the J90 sound, combining with some effective bass sequences on the title track & 'Neue Republik' & you have a familiar but still fruitful offering that ticks all the right boxes for old-skool EBM lovers. Like most Electric Tremor releases it's hardly an epic so don't forget the hidden piece on track 22!! | |||||||||||||||||||
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Making sure that the Germans don't have everything their own way, the duo of Joakim Mohlund (vocals) & Gustav Jansson (machines) are doing their bit to ensure that Sweden's old-skool roots aren't forgotten with this no-nonsense offering. Their mix of typically minimalist electronics & harsh, shouted vocals (mainly in their native tongue) fit well within the label's old-skool remit with very few concessions so its appeal is likely to be restricted for anyone who's not an old-skool lover. That said, a number of tracks such as 'Algjakt' & the splendidly-titled 'Genesis Does (What Ninendon't) both offer nicely catchy shouted chants on their respective choruses & I can imagine the latter being the one that makes it onto compilations & so on. Similarly, the opening title track unfolds from its muffled beginnings into a slow but muscular piece with a decidedly raw edge. One major surprise comes in the form of 'Vargavinter' where the opening mix of percussion & piano is reminiscent of the beginning of Visage's eponymous single & while it soon shows its old-skool colours (albeit in a slightly chilled, laidback form) the piano pops up throughout to give the track a more individual edge. Other highlights include 'Parkesten' where the vocals & bass sequence compliment each other in a way that few artists have ever managed while 'Vargen' ends the album on a muscular, no-messing-about note. Throughout these Swedes stick to the old-skool style & if that's your thing, this will not disappoint &, as an added bonus, their logo (a mooshead through a wheel) is good as well!! | |||||||||||||||||||
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I'm not sure why but I've always confused Uberbyte with Modulate, strange, I know, but there you go. Anyway, Uberbyte is the duo of Richard & Charleen, whose music is, basically a typically hard-hitting EBM affair with a smattering of hardfloor styles a la Reaper, Soman & the like, thrown in. With the exception of tracks such as 'Time And Paper' (the title makes more sense once you listen to it!) & the closing 'Ich Will Tanzen' the emphasis is on the former which works very much in the album's favour as it makes for a more versatile listen that works both on the dancefloor and at home. Compared to most Crunch Pod releases which tend to verge on the more experimental industrial styles, this should be much easier for the majority of EBM fans to get to grips with &, as a bonus, there are a number of touches that give the album something of a distinctive edge, not least the thoughtful mix of mutated voice samples & rhythmic effects that grace 'Aeon' while 'Say What?' is chock-full of all-American spunk that gives the music an almost punky feel. Similarly, Charleen's vocals add the same sort of snotty aggression to 'Industrial Bitch' (& what's the betting that ends up as the logo on their girlie T-shirts!) that Sina Hubner brings to Pzychobitch while the male vocals on 'Soma' put me in mind of Jean Luc De Meyer!! Anyone looking for a more straightforward EBM fix should check out 'The Gift' as well as the shrill 'Dissect' with 'Rewind' also having plenty to offer. The highlights come in the form of the infectious 'Last Human' which boasts some impressive sequencing at the start & infectious electro riffs that make for a winner in anyone's book while the brilliantly-titled '(Let's Put The Fun In) Fundamental' not only samples South Park's Eric Cartman but then proceeds to fry your brain with a mind-blowing rhythmic blitzkrieg that packs more power than an avalanche! If you're a regular clubber you'll probably have heard some of the tracks off here already but if not then don't miss out on this, this is one duo that have what it takes to be the next EBM heroes if given the right breaks. | |||||||||||||||||||
