| Artist |
| Action Directe |
| Title |
| Vanguard |
| Format/Cat |
| Downloadable album |
| Label |
| N/A |
| Style |
| Synthpop/Industrial |
| Date of review |
| December 2009 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 6.5/10 |
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Hard-Wired Industrial Reviews |
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| 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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'A more pronounced electronic element' said the accompanying blurb to this latest AD release & they weren't wrong! So electronic is this that it's possible a few of the band's died-in-the-wool punk fans could feel pretty alienated by this new direction although anyone familiar with the UK industrial scene as represented by bands such as Deadboy & Featal should be better able to take this in their stride. In some ways that's not totally a positive step as, in the past, AD have established an intelligent form of punk that harks back to the heyday of the 70s whilst sounding totally modern but here, the mix of guitar & synths that crop up on 'Red Dawn' (which takes its inspiration from Reagan-era film of the same name), 'Break You', where the politically-charged lyrics survive the use of a sample from Rocky III & "Frontline States Of Mind' do sound perilously close to the sort of mediocre techno-industrial bands that Flag Promotions put at the bottom of their bills so often & it's only on the closing 'We Can Rebuild Us' that they come close to a more substantial rock mood. This however, is slightly offset by the film samples that are so widespread they're beginning to sound totally overused, threatening to swamp the music! The reggae of 'Natty Droid' shows them taking a few more chances with some good bass guitar work to boot but where the album really comes into its own is on the more synthpop-like tracks such as the opening 'Storming Heaven where the acoustic drums work well with the melodic synthetics while on 'A Storm In Heaven' & especially during 'Epiphany' I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't actually listening to a new VNV Nation track! Certainly the latter track in particular has a raw, chugging analogue feel to it that resembles VNV's later works to an uncanny degree & that title is surely straight out of Ronan's 'Big Epic Words For Titles Dictionary' too!! By making this downloadable from their website for free (they've done this with other recent material, too!) Action Directe have either maintained the egalitarian spirit of punk or saved themselves a whole load of money & stress, but, whatever, this 8-tracker is likely to raise a few eyebrows among the faithful & may well gain them a few new fans. | |||||||||||||||||||
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In many ways the music on this album is as simplistic & straightforward as both the band's name & the title of this, their second (see what I mean?) album. The 15 tracks here are the sort of hard-hitting hardfloor style that the band have branded 'Digital Terror' (& giving one track the same name, just in case you missed it!!) & which always goes down a storm in the clubs & if you like acts such as SAM & Soman then stop reading this right now & rush to make this your next purchase. So, you'll probably have decided already if this album is for you or not & the opening title track sees the band setting their stall out right from the off with the amusing computer voice, which sounds like a horny excercise instructor quickly being joined by the requisite thumping dance beats & spikey electro riffs & while none of the 15 tracks even remotely threaten to move on from the established 'hardfloor' premise (the more abstract, scrapey sounds that grace 'Assholes' being as adventurous as it gets) it proves unfailingly catchy with enough infectious riffs to keep the attention going on tracks such as 'Homofurst' & 'Bleeding Ears', to name just two examples. Subtle & varied this album ain't & its appeal for home listening is, like any of its kind, likely to be fairly limited but what it does it does well & if you're looking for some dynamic & infectious music to get you in the mood for a night's clubbing then this should fit the bill nicely. And once you're there ask your favourite DJ to play it & you're sure to be dancing past the midnight hour & maybe even until the sun comes up! | |||||||||||||||||||
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So what is Jizzcore, then? Is it a whole new subgenre that Caustic mainman Matt Fanale has invented? Is it as spunky as the name suggests? Doesn't really matter as what we have here is an off-the-wall release that, with some obvious Chemical Brothers inspirations ('Cock Blockin' Beats' anyone?), sees Fanale indulging his more outlandish musical impulses with an anything-goes approach, taking in elements of noise & some pretty frantic beats in places so if you've ever wondered what a 260BPM track sounds like then the excellently-titled 'Redneck Pusshouse' provides the answer as it unleashes an incessant rhythmic salvo that will leave your brain begging for mercy! There's a certain freeform, stoner vibe underlying much of the music, as if Fanale had partaken of a particularly potent reefer beforehand with the stoned a capella of 'I Wanna Stay Wasted' is the most obvious statement (& I'll not spoil the song's punchline for you either!) but, throughout, it has the feel of a late night jam that, despite the powerful beats that grace so many tracks, actually sounds loose 'n' laidback (you have to hear it to appreciate how this is possible!) with a fair few WTF? moments just to keep you on your toes! In comparison, the second disc, featuring a couple of original tracks & remixes from artists such as Modulate, Epsilon Minus Cyanotic & Kiew seem to almost offer a return to something approaching normality (I did say almost, the artists were no doubt chosen for their similar state of mind!) although the Hypnoskull remix of 'Agent Of Chaos' is without doubt the most frantic, chaotic piece I've ever heard, the rhythmic blitzkrieg being totally off the BPM monitor although the hardcore rapping of 'Big Goth Mama' does catch the attention while 'This Fuck Will Shut You Up' sounds like a more demented Combichrist, appropriately enough. So while this will probably find something of a 'cult' following both in the UK or mainland Europe the US does seem more open to this kind of thing; suffice to say that if you're looking for an artist that resurrects the anything-goes spirit of Aphex Twin & the like but with a more overtly industrial setting then you might well find this right up your street. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Blimey, just try remembering the title of this! Manufactura's latest release is an impressively monumental work, not only for the amount of music that is contained here (the second disc contains remixes of Karloz M's earlier works & is an equally multi-faceted affair) but particularly the scope of the music which puts most modern electronic artists to shame. Far from being the one-dimensional industrial/noise album I was expecting Karloz explores a contrasting variety of musical styles & moods (even in the space of one track in the case of the opening 'Aroused Conviction') with the unrelenting powernoise of 'Rape upon Rape Upon Rape' being further contrasted by the minimalistic dancefloor-friendly stylings of 'Defile The Chastity Of your Flesh' & 'Some Where Made For Fucking' & even more so by the slower-moving pieces which are a varied bunch themselves, ranging from the serene 'Elysian Fire Unfolds The Lost' which is further embellished by some not exactly trained vocals through to 'The Precession Concludes' where the appropriately mournful & processional (I'm sure the title is a typo!) mood is later spoilt only by some rather disjointed rhythms that sound as if they were tacked on as an afterthought, leaving the melodic ending, which reminded me of Tangerine Dream, to bring matters back on track. As the album progresses tracks like 'The Failure Of The Heart' & 'Treacherous Passage Beyond The Ritual Door' see the disjointed rhythms playing an ever-greater role. On these occasions, though, they sound far more sympathetic & this, along with the offbeat effects, makes for an overall feeling that seems to be describing the squalour & decay of the modern world, a feeling that is only slightly offset by the outright spookiness of 'Beneath my Hands Death is Love', where the backing sequence is reminiscent of a dark nursery rhyme (the voice samples also sound as if they were recorded first hand & are all the more chilling for it!) or the exotic mood that graces 'Dream Killers Vow To Bathe In Morpehus Blood' (don't exactly trip off the tongue, these titles, do they?) thanks to the combination of ethnic flute & choir samples that add to the majestic mood that is later created by the slow-moving rhythms & echoed voices. Of all the tracks on the album this is perhaps the one that comes closest to demonstrating the full innovative range of the Manufactura sound which is by turns, sinister, emotive, scary, hard-hitting & even strangely beautiful. All of these adjectives & more apply to this album, one that, even once I thought I'd got my head around what it was likely to do, it was still capable of springing surprises. Albums like this are often easier to admire than actually love although the more emotional parts here might make this the exception although, it does, however, provide a challenging listen for those with enough patience to give it the time & attention such works require. | |||||||||||||||||||
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The Crunch Pod label has, it seems, cornered the market in nearly-but-not-quite experimental releases that are accessable enough to have a (fairly) wide appeal & yet are always surprising & offbeat enough to keep you on your toes. This release, from the duo of Nikki Telladictorian & Greg VanEck, is probably the best example I've heard of how successful a refusal to play by the rules can be with a style that is by turns inventively rhythmic, abstract, darkly atmospheric & overtly melodic while Nikki's equally unique effected vocals add an almost punky edge. This is best borne out by 'Realm Of Thee Divine' where a number of disparate elements are combined, like an imperfect musical jigsaw, to make for a feel that is offbeat yet ultimately accessable enough for anyone who's not expecting anything too easy-on-the-ear. The preceeding title track offers another demonstration of how to sound innovative without any rampant experimentalism while 'Deluge', likewise, moves through a number of changes, from its abstract atmopsheric opening, through a cacophonous rhythmic barrage & on to an almost majestic latter half, although the continuing underlying rhythmic cascade provides a strong counterpoint as well as a continual impetus. In contrast, 'Genovese Syndrome' offers an altogether harsher aspect with some muscular rhythms providing a potent backbone for some scything lead sounds. Having said that, a bit of patience is in order as the opening dopuble header of 'The Box (Whispers From Within)' & 'Mother Of Abominations' come across as clever rather than enjoyable, not really setting the world alight & it's only with the mutated guitar riffs that form the basis of 'Blackmagick Tongue' that really engage the mind. This is probably the closest that the original tracks get to their stated Ministry influence, although there's also a cover of 'You Know What You Are' which is actually on track 69, at the end of the album (I'm guessing, or should that be hoping, there's some reason beyond the obvious for this!), offering a satisfying closer by combining an assertive bassline with steady, strong supporting rhythms in a manner that characterised a number of tracks, not least. But for all these accessable moments that innovative edge is still present to keep you from becoming too complacent with 'The Weeping And Gnashing Of Teeth' sounding like a mutated old-skool synthpop track put through the industrial grinder while the short piano-led interlude that is 'False Prophets' leads directly into 'Confronting Pandora' which seems to be the duo's one concession to dancefloor considerations, coming closest to the the popular electro sound with a typically dancey, synthetic feel but while it may get them widespread dancefloor appeal the album offers far more than that, striking the perfect blend between the innovative & the accessable. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Not being familiar with any of Mona Mur's output & only having a very slighty aquaintance with any of En Esch's other bands (KMFDM, Pigface, Slick Idiot, etc.) I was able to approach this intriguing collaborative album with an open mind. Mona Mur's musical resume stretches back to the early 80s & this latest batch shows she's still a progressive & forward-thinking artist. It's not hard to see why En Esch is also such a well-respected musical force as his constantly inventive musical mind turns this into a unique industrial rock experience with electro shadings that rewards deep & repeated listenings & is constantly springing surprises with its power & vision. As such it's the perfect foil for Mona Mur's voice, which manages to be simultaneously tragic & grandiose, medieval & punky & gritty & languid, all topped off with a chanteuse-like quality that breathes emotion into every single note; fans of Siouxsie, Lydia Lunch, Nico & even Marianne Faithfull are sure to recognise a kindred spirit at work here, in fact, if it weren't for the totally modern outlook it's not hard to imagine tracks such as 'Snake' & 'Mon Amour' being sung in a smokey Parisian club back in the 30s & this, no doubt, contributes towards them being two of the album's most outstanding tracks! In such a fertile musical atmosphere, the Kurt Weil & Berthold Brecht-composed songs 'Surabaya Johnny' & 'Der Song Von Mondelay' fit in perfectly, although the languid mood pf the former, which, at 8 minutes' duration is really given the chance to shine, is contrasted very sharply by the pacey latter track which, with its reduced duration, comes across like a short, sharp fireball of frantic energy. Elsewhere, tracks such as 'Eintagsflug' with its scything guitars & the almost relentless feel of 'The Thin Red Line' as well as the brooding intensity of 'Snake' all come closer to the KMFDM sound although it never wimps out or panders to commercial mediocrity or takes the easy way out with the added feeling of depth that graces '120 Tage' where the superb production adds a kind of faded grandeur to an already epic track, as if it were recorded in a disused but formerly beautiful theatre. All in all, this is without doubt one of the most refreshing & invigorating releases I've heard in a long time while the constant excellence makes it one of the most compelling, too, from two artists who certainly have a lot to offer to the adventurous listener. | |||||||||||||||||||
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As soon as this latest album from The Pitchies was announced, the absence of drummer Achim Farber & guitarist Carsten Klatte was immediately seen that this signalled a return to the all-electronic Pitchfork of old, a kind of back to basics for the band, if you like. The return of the old logo is a telling point as well, I'd say & the dynamic & punchy sound that characterises the album is definately reminiscent of the old days, particularly their early club hit Conjure, which I was reminded of more than once while the instrumental 'Dream' sections which pop up between every track & the war-inspired lyrics of 'Darkness' both bring the days of Entities to mind. What has changed is the adventurous approach of yore & particularly the rawness that the band used to possess have both gone, this is an album so polished you could probably see your face in it (if you catch my drift!) but it's a powerful & dynamic one as well with 'If I Could' setting the scene for what is to come quite nicely; strong, punchy music that constantly comes up trumps with the excellently infectious 'Promises' & the equally punchy 'Your God' where the choir voices make for an appropriately sepulchral offering, combining well with the clipped, quickfire vocals among the highlights, in fact, it's only when the harder rhythms are combined with more upbeat moods, as they are during 'The Tide' then it can get a bit too cheerful for comfort (although the especially gruff vocals do offset this to some extent!). Moreover, the band's melodic strengths ensure that it never feels at all clinical, ensuring that the album becomes more & more enthralling as it progresses, particularly during 'Full of Life' where the insistent melodics weave a potent spell while the preceeding single 'Feel' benefits from an intriguing combination of shuffling rhythms which, to me have a hint of glamrock about them (I kid you not!) & a distinctly melancolic mood. It's certainly a thought-provoking track & a brave choice as single, particularly when virtually any track on the album would have been equally suitable. All of which leaves the rather mellow-sounding 'Passion' to close the album as the soaring synths add a rich vein to this nigh-on 8 minute piece like a cool wind on a warm day before it ends on an atmospheric but equally laidback note. So while this does harken back to the Pitchies' past it's more likely to appeal to those who find their more recent works to their taste, hardcore industrial fans may find it a bit too easy on the ear in places but Pitchfork continue to tread their own path & defy easy labelling &, really, you just know that they'll never do anything else! | |||||||||||||||||||
