The initial appearance of this CD will make one think they are in for a mass of heavy industrial style sounds.  Instead, we are given a collection of emotional songs wrapped up in intense EBM synth beats bordering at times to the industrial roots.  The album cover makes no apology for the utilization of machinery, dark sensuality and graphic titillating photo’s. The center of the cover is somewhat made to look like a cross between an eyeball and a woman’s breast, thereby delivering the message that some of the contents are sexual in nature.

"Flesh Menagerie" managed to create a highly danceable yet sordid song, which depicts the wolf-like stalking and mating that often takes place within the confines of a club.  

"Hopeless" is a mournful track that wrestles with the realization of loneliness and past mistakes within the confines of a former relationship. The lyrics are simplistic, but run through the gamut of emotions from despair to cynicism.

"Perfect Stranger" emphasizes the momentary thrill of nighttime physical conquest that often leaves one feeling emotionally barren after the fact. It examines the inner conceptualization that it is all part of the “game,” yet the passions seem to overrule logic with attempting to find a meaningful relationship.

"Physical Education" seems to border on the quest of going over the edge with one’s desires at the hands of someone more skilled, most likely a dominatrix. The lyrics dance around the subjects without actually hitting us over the head, but still maintain enough expression to deliver the imagery.

"Over" is that point immediately after a relationship is over. We are confronted with fear, anger, uncertainty, denial remorse and regret all within the span of a moment. 

"Built For Pleasure" explores the adoration and admiration for one who fulfills the ideal of perfect physical fantasy. Again, there is a nod towards a dominatrix type of imagery without actually coming out and broadly painting it as such.

"A Matter Of Time" brings us again to that moment in life when we discover that the image and embodiment of our “perfect” love is actually within our line of sight. It is that longing ache of hoping for something to develop, coupled with the hesitancy to make the first move.

"Oblivion" is a mechanized love song of sorts, depicting the need for passion before life and all its precious moments escape us.

"96 Degrees" is explicit auditory imagery, where one is a voyeur to amorous couplings in the twilight hours. The track uses interesting sound depth to seemingly paint an almost ominous atmosphere, as though behind a peepshow  window.

The Negative Format remix of "Perfect Strangers" adds another emphasis on an already good dance track. The Stromkern remix of "Physical Education" seems to deliver a bit more plodding, as though in a rut.

When all is said and done, Informatik created an album that is likely to be cherished by all those in the underground scene currently enduring difficult relationships. Rather that resorting to poetic verbiage, the lyrics simply connote the ever-mounting difficulties between love and lust.  To some degree, this is the soundtrack to love, life and sex in the post AIDS days, where love on the one hand can emotionally bankrupt you, while anonymous sex could kill you physically as well as emotionally. Instead of being a purveyor of wanton lust, this CD delivers a bit more of a cyber voyeurism that allows the free form flow of eroticism, while maintaining a safe physical distance from anything dangerous.         

Band Lineup:
Da5id Din
Tyler Newman
Matthew Crofoot 

Tracks:
1. Flesh Menagerie (136 BPM)
2. Hopeless (131 BPM)
3. Perfect Stranger (138 BPM)
4. Physical Education (110 BPM)
5. Over (133 BPM)
6. Built For Pleasure (140 BPM)
7. A Matter Of Time (133 BPM)
8. Oblivion (128 BPM)
9. 96 Degrees
10. Perfect Stranger (Robot Mix by Negative Format 138 BPM)
11. Physical Education (Day Job Mix by Stromkern 110 BPM)  

Webpage: http://www.nymphomatik.com
Email: informatik@nymphomatik.com
 

06/01/02