PART 2- THE LATEST REVIEWS
Seeing as I was unable to buy many cds for a while, here is a bit of a bulk review...
EDGE OF DAWN- THE FLIGHT (LUX)
Frank Spinath from Seabound returns with his new project Edge of Dawn, very similiar seductive and mysterious sound to seabound, but with the addition of Mario Schumacher giving it a slightly darker edge. Find the way out v2.0 is one of the best future poppy (I use the term loosely so as not to put some of you off) tracks of 2005, whilst elegance, loosing ground and descent show nothing particularly new from seabound's earlier material, they are all well produced and well written tracks with more detail in the rhythms and layering of sounds than you see with alot of EBM projects these days, the flight (lux) is a great dark dance tune, and the auto aggresion remix is not too be missed and the Iris remix will really surprise you-- its quite dark, but I have a sneaky suspicion that the iris and auto aggression remixes may have in fact been noted on the cover the wrong way round, anyone be able to clarify?
Highlights- Find the Way 2.0, Loosing Ground, The Flight (lux) orignal.
FROZEN PLASMA- HYPOCRITE
Yes, Vasi is back this time accompanied by felix marc, from Diorama,you get the feeling from this single that Vasi's daubling in the darker side of EBM with the Reaper project has leaked into his electro-pop, frozen plasma isn't creaming the gayness quite as much as namnambulu and the change in vocalist is certainly recognizable. Felix's vocals are fairly similar to Clint's from system syn, like the best of you I find it hard to ever find a fault in Vasi's work, but the dramatic vocal change from namnambulu will take a bit of time to get use to, but after all this is NOT namnambulu with a new vocalist, IT IS frozen plasma.
By the time you get to the 3rd track old school entended mix of Hypocrite you get over the shock of the new vocals and you realise this is as beautiful as any of Vasi's previous work, whilst Betrayal is quite different, in some bits alot more dancey and staccato and yet contrasted with pure GAYNESS.
ANALOGUE BRAIN- ELECTROSHOCK
Definately an aquired taste, most original band I've heard this year, the production of some of the tracks could do will a little tweaking as the vocals don't feel very balanced with the music at times, however I have faith that like [:SITD:] once they've worked on their production a bit they will be one of the most polished bands about. Electroshock has some really meaty dance floor orientated tracks like dead keen on (Cut one) v2.0 and there must be more and some more balladic, yet slightly experimental in form tracks like captured [in a dream] which i think fans of the Architect or anything by Daniel Myers in fact would appreciate, the majority of the album is atmospheric and slow paced but the filtering of the dancey moments throughout makes it a very organised new release.
Highlights- There must be more, captured [in a dream] because its just so bloody strange, fly in an amber, alter ego, versatile violence, dead keen on (cut one v2.0)
SUICIDE COMMANDO- GODSEND/ MENSCHENFRESSER
With well over 20 years experience, johan van roy always improves on his last efforts and with Godsend/ Menschenfresser he yet again does not disappoint. Suicide Commando is one of the few older bands left that still really impress me, maybe because he manages to create such a hypnotic, yet evil atmosphere so simply rather than trying to over complicate his music or change his style. Hellraiser was the tune that converted me to the electronic side when I was 16 and no dark electro band, as much as many have tried, have ever recreated the perfect darkness that SC do (Except possibly tactical sekt).
Godsend is the stronger of the two tracks overall I think with that real harshness we're all so use to from tracks like Love Breeds Suicide and Hellrasier. God Module yet again prove it is only their vocal inability that makes them god-awful by doing a great remix of Godsend and Vasi really recreates Menschenfresser in Reaper style however the sound is quite murky in his remix.
Hightlights-Godsend (kiss the disease) orignial and Amduscia remix, Agonoize remix of Menschenfresser
SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS- MIND OVER MATTER
Now for the album I've been most antipating since hearing Delight on Awake the Machines 5 and what can I say- as soon as Odyssey of Mind starts up you know this is going to be one of the best albums of the year, it is rare to see a band writing happy, synth and future pop tracks like odyssesy of mind and delight next to dark tracks like pale candle light which manages to mix the sounds of bands like suicide commando with a chrous not that disimilar from the cruxshadows sound. With mind over matter, Solitary Experiements have stamped their mark on the EBM scene, they are one of the most diversely talented bands out at the moment. Beautiful lyrics/ beautiful music, well produced, an ability to change their style yet still keep an individual sound- what more I ask do you want from a band?
highlights- Odyssesy of Mind, Delight, Downfall, Still Alive, War and Peace, Self Deception
SITD- ODYSESSY 13
When will this band cease to surprise me, just when you think they can never improve on their sound, their new release is always a 100x better than the last, breath takingly beautiful, the most refreshing band on the EBM scene over the last few years, mixing the euphoric emotion of future pop bands such as VNV Nation with dark electro beats and atmospheric string sounds that will make anyone just stop dead and really engaged in their music.
highlights-- there are no lowlights of this MCD, My personal favourite is easily Firmament though
ADVANCE ELECTRONICS VOL 4
Introduced by Jean-Luc De Meyer and a joint compilation by Hardbeat Promotions and SPV, new dance tracks and upbeat remixes of 2005 classics, this is what you get when techno and EBM begin to merge, dark, dirty and dancy!! For those of you that had doubts about the future of EBM….this compilation proves that there's still a lot of strong talent out there especially in the emerging crossover between techno/ EBM, covering everything from Darkwave, Synthpop and Futurepop to dance floor friendly noise bands and EBM such as S.K.E.T and Reaper and dark electro with [:SITD:], Heinmataerde and Painbastard.
Both Spetzsnaz- Apathy and Grendel- Aspiration Feed pleasantly surprised me and as big of a [:SITD:] fan as I am, The Soman remix of chrome is ever better than theirs.
If you haven't already I suggest after listening to this compilation you check out S.K.E.T and Individualdistanz, special mention goes to Implant feat Anna Clark- turn up your chips and circuits (electric universe remix) as yet again Implant managed to bring out a fantastic tune for another compilation.
Hightlights- VNV Nation- Chrome (Soman RX Longer), S.K.E.T- Revolution of the Pigs (Advanced Pig Revolution RMX), Individualdistanz- Fulfil my Rage, Implant feat Anne Clark- Turn up your chips and circuits (electric universe remix), Soman-Pusher (US Remix),Heimataerde- Musikerhaende
....more reviews to come later..phew!
EDGE OF DAWN- THE FLIGHT (LUX)
Frank Spinath from Seabound returns with his new project Edge of Dawn, very similiar seductive and mysterious sound to seabound, but with the addition of Mario Schumacher giving it a slightly darker edge. Find the way out v2.0 is one of the best future poppy (I use the term loosely so as not to put some of you off) tracks of 2005, whilst elegance, loosing ground and descent show nothing particularly new from seabound's earlier material, they are all well produced and well written tracks with more detail in the rhythms and layering of sounds than you see with alot of EBM projects these days, the flight (lux) is a great dark dance tune, and the auto aggresion remix is not too be missed and the Iris remix will really surprise you-- its quite dark, but I have a sneaky suspicion that the iris and auto aggression remixes may have in fact been noted on the cover the wrong way round, anyone be able to clarify?
Highlights- Find the Way 2.0, Loosing Ground, The Flight (lux) orignal.
FROZEN PLASMA- HYPOCRITE
Yes, Vasi is back this time accompanied by felix marc, from Diorama,you get the feeling from this single that Vasi's daubling in the darker side of EBM with the Reaper project has leaked into his electro-pop, frozen plasma isn't creaming the gayness quite as much as namnambulu and the change in vocalist is certainly recognizable. Felix's vocals are fairly similar to Clint's from system syn, like the best of you I find it hard to ever find a fault in Vasi's work, but the dramatic vocal change from namnambulu will take a bit of time to get use to, but after all this is NOT namnambulu with a new vocalist, IT IS frozen plasma.
By the time you get to the 3rd track old school entended mix of Hypocrite you get over the shock of the new vocals and you realise this is as beautiful as any of Vasi's previous work, whilst Betrayal is quite different, in some bits alot more dancey and staccato and yet contrasted with pure GAYNESS.
ANALOGUE BRAIN- ELECTROSHOCK
Definately an aquired taste, most original band I've heard this year, the production of some of the tracks could do will a little tweaking as the vocals don't feel very balanced with the music at times, however I have faith that like [:SITD:] once they've worked on their production a bit they will be one of the most polished bands about. Electroshock has some really meaty dance floor orientated tracks like dead keen on (Cut one) v2.0 and there must be more and some more balladic, yet slightly experimental in form tracks like captured [in a dream] which i think fans of the Architect or anything by Daniel Myers in fact would appreciate, the majority of the album is atmospheric and slow paced but the filtering of the dancey moments throughout makes it a very organised new release.
Highlights- There must be more, captured [in a dream] because its just so bloody strange, fly in an amber, alter ego, versatile violence, dead keen on (cut one v2.0)
SUICIDE COMMANDO- GODSEND/ MENSCHENFRESSER
With well over 20 years experience, johan van roy always improves on his last efforts and with Godsend/ Menschenfresser he yet again does not disappoint. Suicide Commando is one of the few older bands left that still really impress me, maybe because he manages to create such a hypnotic, yet evil atmosphere so simply rather than trying to over complicate his music or change his style. Hellraiser was the tune that converted me to the electronic side when I was 16 and no dark electro band, as much as many have tried, have ever recreated the perfect darkness that SC do (Except possibly tactical sekt).
Godsend is the stronger of the two tracks overall I think with that real harshness we're all so use to from tracks like Love Breeds Suicide and Hellrasier. God Module yet again prove it is only their vocal inability that makes them god-awful by doing a great remix of Godsend and Vasi really recreates Menschenfresser in Reaper style however the sound is quite murky in his remix.
Hightlights-Godsend (kiss the disease) orignial and Amduscia remix, Agonoize remix of Menschenfresser
SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS- MIND OVER MATTER
Now for the album I've been most antipating since hearing Delight on Awake the Machines 5 and what can I say- as soon as Odyssey of Mind starts up you know this is going to be one of the best albums of the year, it is rare to see a band writing happy, synth and future pop tracks like odyssesy of mind and delight next to dark tracks like pale candle light which manages to mix the sounds of bands like suicide commando with a chrous not that disimilar from the cruxshadows sound. With mind over matter, Solitary Experiements have stamped their mark on the EBM scene, they are one of the most diversely talented bands out at the moment. Beautiful lyrics/ beautiful music, well produced, an ability to change their style yet still keep an individual sound- what more I ask do you want from a band?
highlights- Odyssesy of Mind, Delight, Downfall, Still Alive, War and Peace, Self Deception
SITD- ODYSESSY 13
When will this band cease to surprise me, just when you think they can never improve on their sound, their new release is always a 100x better than the last, breath takingly beautiful, the most refreshing band on the EBM scene over the last few years, mixing the euphoric emotion of future pop bands such as VNV Nation with dark electro beats and atmospheric string sounds that will make anyone just stop dead and really engaged in their music.
highlights-- there are no lowlights of this MCD, My personal favourite is easily Firmament though
ADVANCE ELECTRONICS VOL 4
Introduced by Jean-Luc De Meyer and a joint compilation by Hardbeat Promotions and SPV, new dance tracks and upbeat remixes of 2005 classics, this is what you get when techno and EBM begin to merge, dark, dirty and dancy!! For those of you that had doubts about the future of EBM….this compilation proves that there's still a lot of strong talent out there especially in the emerging crossover between techno/ EBM, covering everything from Darkwave, Synthpop and Futurepop to dance floor friendly noise bands and EBM such as S.K.E.T and Reaper and dark electro with [:SITD:], Heinmataerde and Painbastard.
Both Spetzsnaz- Apathy and Grendel- Aspiration Feed pleasantly surprised me and as big of a [:SITD:] fan as I am, The Soman remix of chrome is ever better than theirs.
If you haven't already I suggest after listening to this compilation you check out S.K.E.T and Individualdistanz, special mention goes to Implant feat Anna Clark- turn up your chips and circuits (electric universe remix) as yet again Implant managed to bring out a fantastic tune for another compilation.
Hightlights- VNV Nation- Chrome (Soman RX Longer), S.K.E.T- Revolution of the Pigs (Advanced Pig Revolution RMX), Individualdistanz- Fulfil my Rage, Implant feat Anne Clark- Turn up your chips and circuits (electric universe remix), Soman-Pusher (US Remix),Heimataerde- Musikerhaende
....more reviews to come later..phew!