Sometimes raw talent absolutely amazes me, and Twelfth of Never did just that with this album, their debut release. While it sometimes takes a few releases and a lot of experimentation before it seems like a band is comfortable in its chosen style, this Massachusetts band has a sound that rivals seasoned veterans.
I should state, though, that the members of Twelfth of Never have been making music with other projects for a number of years, and have been working together since 1997. Their influences are many and varied, and range across the entire spectrum of music, but their influences and efforts come together to form a melodious and haunting sound, capped off with Robin's beautiful vocals.
The intro track to the disc, "I Shall Not Care," begins with a beautiful piano arrangement, topped by samples of lovers speaking quietly and angrily, followed by guitar, and Robin's vocals. The lyrics for this track are adapted from a poem by Sara Teasdale: the words speak of unrequited love and death, making the track's samples very pertinent.
"Theanna" is a good example of how beautiful a recorder can be in a musical arrangement. The light, flighty sound, coupled with the classical guitar makes this a very mysterious and magical song.
Easily a great disc for relaxing in a warm, dark room to relieve the stress of the day, Blowing Bubbles Through Broken Windows is available through the band's mailing address.
Tracks:
1.
I Shall Not Care
2.
To Lure the Swans and Flies
3.
The Cycle
4.
Hid and Sick
5.
Theanna
6.
Union
7.
Parade of Bodies
8.
Your Shroud of Turin
Band
Line Up:
Ron
Miles - Bass
Robin
N. Tinker - Vocals, recorder
Adam
Zelny - Guitar
Matthew
Davis - Keyboards, MIDI, vocals
Keith
Alan Landry - Guitar
Website:
http://www.twelfthofnever.com/
Email:
info@twelfthofnever.com
Smail:
P.O. Box 7327, Fitchburg, MA, 01420, USA
Apoptygma
Berzerk
Welcome
to Earth
~
Reviewed by ::CyBeRiNa FLuX::
Apoptygma Berzerk, out of Norway, shows us that those Scandanavians know just as much about great dance music as they do black metal. Stephan Groth began Apoptygma as an EBM Industrial act in 1989, and played up the incredibly strong European scene of time. In the mid-90s, Stephan began to play around a little bit with techno and house music, and released a few tracks as side projects. However, it wasn't long for him to develop Apoptygma's sound to incorporate both genres. The end result is a fushion of the best of the two extremes of dance music; dirty, but not oppressive dance beats with a strong focus on lyrical melody.
The first album after this transformation really skyrocketed Apoptygma Berzerk's career, and their 1996 album "7" became a hit across the Atlantic in America. "Welcome to Earth," is their fourth full length release (excluding a live release of the 1998 European tour), and its showing the world that they are still evolving and expanding their sound to new levels.
The CD starts with "Everything We Know is Wrong," a psychedlized sample of a man's speech where he is explaining his thoughts regarding alien contact throughout history, and how it will shape our future. With a few crashes of a sampled cymbal you are instantly kicked into the very upbeat "Starsign." Trippy keyboard sounds swirl around you intertwined in an incredible dance beat. The overall melody is very joyous, but with exceptional irony the lyrics are of a quite different nature. They are of a man beaten by the world, desperate for a way to get away from his worries.
Another notable track is "Help Me!," which brought me fond memories of old Chris and Cosey tracks. A slow and simple but funky beat grooves along with eccentric samples dotted along throughout. Stephan speaks calmly of a bad relationship with a highly codependant woman. At the moment he speaks the words that he wishes to end the relationship, the song takes a 180. Suddenly, you are hearing her side of the story, sung by Tinkerbell. Her version is laced with the tribal sound of the digeridoo while keeping a very moving beat. Her voice trails with the words "Help Me" while maddening samples of maniacle laughs, screaming tribes, and distant yells circle around you in insanity.
"Moment of Tranquility" could also be known as "Moment of David Lynch" as it is opened by a rewrite of an Angelo Badalamenti song, "Falling," which was written as the theme song for Twin Peaks. Like "Falling," "Moment of Tranquility" is full on love ballad with a very slow tempo, and a lot of rich violins (as every good, sad ballad should have). A chime rings, and just as you expect to hear the elevating voice of Julee Cruise you instead here Stephan singing the most melodiously I have heard him yet. Instead of falling in love like the Badalamenti/Cruise song, this song is the end of a love. Passionately, he probes into that awkward moment of the realization that his love is leaving. "Her eyes are staring at me. Empty as the sky. In this moment of tranquility, I realize that this is goodbye."
Track 8 starts out with a beat you simply cannot help but dance to. Driving, and catchy without being annoyingly bouncy, this is the type of beat you could find heard in dancehalls of nearly every electronic music genre. It constantly progresses without a single boring, repetitive moment, and it takes you for 180s that are blended with a mastery that can keep you on the dancefloor without a pause in your step. Right around 2 minutes into the track, you hear this tubular bell sample that is somewhat familiar (it rings a bell, get it??), but you just keep dancing when BAM! At 2:30 Stephan's vocals kick in with the unmistakable lyrics to Metallica's "Fade to Black!" It really throws you for a loop (full pun intended), but the progression of the track is just so fantastic that you just can't help but keep grooving to it. This is by far one of the best remakes I've ever heard. In a nutshell, this track kicks MAJOR booty, synthpop style.
Of all the tracks, "Paranoia" is most like the style of tracks on "7." However, like all of the tracks on this CD, its the next evolution in Apoptygma Berzerk's sound. Featuring many more bridges, and layers of sounds and loops, its much more likely than some of their older tracks to grab you and take you off into a deep trance. Through the magic of effects, the vocals of the chorus are progressively more digitized until the very end of the track when they reach a full on vocoded state. After a final bridge to wrap things up, the track ends with taste of Indian chanting.
This CD is a must buy for any Apoptygma fan, as well as any and all club DJs. No matter what your taste in electronic music, Apoptygma will have a song to match. For someone new to the music of Apoptygma Berzerk, if you were to only have enough money for one CD, I think I would still suggest "7" first. However, this CD is still a definite have-to-have for anyone's electronic music library.
Apoptygma Berzerk is Stephan Groth
Tracklist:
1.
Everything We Know is Wrong
2.
Starsign
3.
Eclipse
4.
Help Me!
5.
Kathy's Song (Come Lie Next To Me)
6.
Untitled 3
7.
Moment of Tranquility
8.
Fade to Black
9.
64k
10.
Paranoia
11.
Soultaker
12.
LNDP3
13.
Time to Move On
Apoptygma
Berzerk
Box
853
N-1670
Krakeroy
Norway,
Europa
http://www.apoptygma.eu.org/
apoptour@x-ray.no
Metropolis
Records
Post
Office Box 54307
Philadelphia,
PA 19105
http://www.metropolis-records.com
Assemblage
23
"Contempt"
~reviewed
by Wolf
This cd was already reviewed several months ago, but since we interviewed Assemblage 23's Tom Shear for this issue I'm giving it a second round on Starvox. After its US release on Gashed! the cd is now available on Europe's Accession Records and it remains one of the most impressive debuts of the year, so if you haven't heard of this rising star yet...do read on!
Assemblage
23 is the solo effort of Tom Shear and with Contempt he leaves the competition
far far behind. I will avoid a rant about the not-so-impressive-yet-massively-popular
bands out there in the
electro/industrial-dance
genre, but A23 is certainly one of the few good examples of how harsh and
melodious can meet and result in something very appealing. Without sounding
silly and/or cheezy, that is. Contempt is filled with an array of
well-produced, melodious-yet-heavy songs, underlined with excellent vocals
and lyrics beyond the usual standard of this genre. And to think that it
was all done with just an Ensoniq EPS-16+ sampler!
"Anthem" is an excellent opener, grabbing the listener instantly with great melodies, smart song structure and very clean vocals. Tom's voice reminds me at times of Jean-Luc DeMeyer's (of Front242), which is of course meant as a big compliment. The singing in the verse is slightly akin to The Bog (a Bigod20 track with DeMeyer on vocals), but that's where the comparison to that particular song ends. The song builds up with all the ingredients of a grade A club track, but it's not just industrial of the mindless techno variety. Right away we're also introduced to Tom's poetic lyrics, a notch above everyone else's:
"We
are born of stone
And
etched by wind
Cast
aside to live or die
We
are the pawns in our own game"
The concepts might be somewhat stereotypical at times, but the poetry of the words void this minor piece of criticism. The lyrics to the 2nd track,"Surface", perfectly illustrate this:
"And
when I surface again
I
will not breathe the same air as you
And
once my enemies are slain
My
lungs will drink the liquid sky"
This song, too, has the most excellent melodic chorus, but takes a more harsher turn during its verses. The distortion on the vocals is just right and I wouldn't be surprised if this track will show up on many playlists as well. Perhaps this cd just appeals greatly to my "graver" nature, but it's absolutely of amazing quality.
"Coward" slows down the pace and reminds me a little of Suicide Commando, but more varied in its composition and with, again, a very catchy chorus to which the song builds up relentlessly. It's not as good as "Bi-Polar" though, starting out with a melancholy intro and turning into a pounding assault of percussion and sequences. The cd continues with the slow and dark "Pages", followed by the cd's irresistable "Purgatory". This one has my vote for floorfiller of the year, with a trancey bass, foreboding strings and the erruption into an uplifting melody of modulated sequences. Its verse as desolate as the incredibly catchy chorus, counteracting the positive sound of the song, and again very aesthetic:
"How
far I've fallen
Dancing
in the ruins of Purgatory
My
time is borrowed
But
still I waste away"
And so the cd continues with more high-quality material, from the slow, hypnotizing "Sun" to the harsh EBM of "Skyquake"...the catchy and pounding "Never Forgive" and the brooding "7 Days".
In closing we're treated to 3 remixes with most notably Manhole Vortex's very evil rendition of "Skyquake" and Ed Vargo's (THD) remix of the non-album track "The Drowning Season". (Contempt was also mastered by him at THD's Ascent Labs.)
Yes, I like this cd...a lot. If you think VNV or Apoptygma Berzerk are setting the standards for what is called "industrial dance" nowadays, then think again. Assemblage 23 holds all the cards and it won't be long before he'll be among the biggest names. Check it out, either from Gashed! in the US, or from Accession in Europe. Very very impressive, Tom!
Tracklisting:
1.
Anthem
2.
Surface
3.
Coward
4.
Bi-Polar
5.
Pages
6.
Purgatory
7.
Sun
8.
Skyquake
9.
Never Forgive
10.
7 Days
11.
Coward (Melting Mix by Pain Station)
12.
Skyquake (Voice of God Mix by Manhole Vortex/Protocol X)
13.
The Drowning Season (DSK02k Mix by Ed Vargo of THD)
Band
members:
Tom
Shear
Additional
info:
Official
site: http://www.synthetic.org/a23
Official
label site [US]: http://www.gashed.com/
Official
label site [European]:
http://www.accession-records.com/
Audra
Silver
Music
~reviewed
by Blu
Brothers Bart and Bret Helm grew up listening to the likes of David Bowie, Joy Division, Velvet Undergound, and Bauhaus. Off and on through different musical stints, the brothers stuck together and in 1991 they formed Audra. With the later additions of bass player Janel and guitarist/keyboardist Rick Zandlo, Audra has finally come of age so to speak with the announcement that its joined the leagues of ethereal enthusiasts on the divine Projekt label. Previous to this, Audra released two wonderful CDs on their own - 1998's "In a Dark Room..." which contained the memorial for Rozz Williams, "In Hollywood Tonight" and 1999's "Silver Music" which is reviewed here as a preview for their new CD which should be ready in July. In the history off their webpage, they say their music is was "built on the unsettled emotions from past relationships, the passing of heroes and friends, encounters with the divine world and erotic fantasies." Sound interesting? Oh it is… more then you know…
Maybe its just the Spring weather here, but more and more I think it's the sultry vocals on this CD that have me enamored with everyone I see lately. Bret's vocals are deep and smooth and there's a subtle sexuality to them that is hard to describe in words. The first track, "In All Our Androgyny," has become a favorite among Audra fans. Light and upbeat, Bret croons, "being there is like holding yourself, like kissing yourself in all our androgyny…"
Track 2 is probably one of the best song titles I've heard in a long time - " Spiked with Black and Rum." As you might imagine, it's a dark, moody song. When Bret sings, "And I'm left dizzy, spiked with black and rum, staring into the eyes of a doll that looks back through glass and emptiness, my problems lie in my obsessions…there are no stars, only images…" I cannot help but think of the emotionally-laden vocals of past greats like Peter Murphy. Bart paints a bleak world with his guitar - further adding to the unrest you feel in the vocals.
"Flowers" is another dark track - but more ominous in its sound. There is an element of dangerous sexual over tones - an unrequited love perhaps that boarders on obsession. A predatory bass line reminds me much of the work the Toadies did a few years ago on their dark alternapop CD. "I want to walk up to your, to your window and knock softly, hand them to you one at a time till your arms are filled. I have flowers, that I'm bringing especially for you, I thought that they would match your eyes, in the garden, I'll tie them together…" Mmmm…yummy.
My favorite song on this CD is "Venus" - which is the perfect example of that subtle sexual tone I mentioned earlier that makes me just melt. Accentuated by the driving guitar riffs of Bart and an undulating bass line, Bret sings, "There is another world, a place only I can see…not only myself, but with you, when you're alone, there's always something…and I hear your voice, and its so soft, it's like touching the air, it whispers poetry when the lights go dim…I need to get drunk on your tears, on your fears and on your body, on your body I fear I am lost…" He sings of desire, death, of love lost, and of a desperate need to reconnect to something that once was. Its bittersweet in the bluest shade of despair.
Poetic lyrics on love and death continue with "Cupid" - a swirling, quite danceable track followed by the pensive, nightmarish "2 Girls in 1 Dress." If this is a preview of what's to come in future releases from Audra, consider me waiting anxiously in wings. I'm looking forward to seeing how they're incorporated into the Projekt label.
Website:
http://audramusic.com/
Email:
admin@audramusic.com
For
booking: booking@audramusic.com
Label:
Projekt (www.projekt.com)
The
Azoic
Where
Broken Angels Lie
~reviewed
by Mike Ventarola
This
second CD by The Azoic is the closest one can come to a psychotic nightmare
and still maintain some semblance of sanity. It is scary, dark, evolving
sounds that are not quite dance floor friendly for those easily unnerved.
To say that I absolutely adore this disc is an understatement Where
Broken Angles Lie is the type of music you would play when you want something
haunting and eerie and not too rock oriented. From the first strains to
the last, it creates a vacuum within your area to transform it with just
the right touches of gloom and doom. Many of the songs are heavy with movie
dialogue samples. Some folks find this disconcerting, however it seems
to play extremely well with these songs, which also helps to make it morbidly
endearing. The only contention is the lyrics are at times difficult to
decipher, however they are printed up on the bands web page should this
be of any major concern to the listener. Most folks get so caught up in
the grotesque surrealism, that the lyrics are the last thing they are interested
in.
"Nilaihah"
coalesces like dire swirling bells , emerging from the depths of the darkest
psyche. Movie dialogue guides and pulls us in the hall of souls. You are
hooked and there is NO turning back. Kristy Venrick wails like the
decadent angel of the misbegotten while additional dialogue plays between
electronic tones of dread.
"Drown (Pulsating Mix)" further extrapolates the haunted house sound with echoes in the dark and screams to make your skin crawl. "Images pass with hallowed eyes/sucked of life that make my stomach crawl/ immortal are you my dead child/ weeping tears and silent cries/ trapped in a web" Technically this mix could be used for a dance club, but I am not too sure many of the so called goth clubs even have the nerve to go this far into the abyss.
"Terrible Space" continues to congeal ominous tones that erupt like fleeting memories for the damned. This is actually a very macabre love song of longing and yearning.
"Intimate Incisions" darker than dark and one of my all time favorites by this band. We are greeted with the sound byte, "even now in heaven there were angels carrying savage weaponswide awake for the experience?" As Kristy begins to sing, screams are accompanied in the background that makes this song quite unnerving. " The jagged edge of slithered eyes/ are seething with deceptive lies/ demoralize your affection/ feed you fruits of my deception/ the scraping silence penetrates beneath/ my lifeless skin with no relief."
"Summoning" provides only a slight reprieve from the ghoulish shrieks but still maintains the dark formation. " I take a lasting breath; in a realm unknown/ leaving an emulsion; sinking far below; bringing fear into the night/ draws me in/ never letting go."
"Terrible Space ( Oneiroid Psychosis Mix)" has a militaristic beat suffused with layers of dark tones. Imagine Kraftwerk as a morbid sounding band and you may get some idea of how this song was reconstructed.
"I Tried To Warn You (Flesh Field/ Decay/Theory Remix)" is another favorite off this CD as it goes beyond levels of darkness that few dare to venture into.
"The Sad Word" introduces more movie sound samples that combine with layers of haunted tones. The sung vocals are compressed beyond gender recognition and are like a ghost creeping through the ether regions of your mind.
"Drown" is the original version of this song which is more dark industrial sounding which seems to be the direction this band is going with their more recent work.
"The Sad Word ( Desert Mix)" despite the re-mixes having a dance beat, for some reason they just dont seem to play them often enough.
"Suffocation" echoes dialogue and white noise that is droning and pervasively dreadful. There is such a tense build up with the low somber notes and steam like progression that immediately you notice yourself tensing as you hear something akin to a heartbeat. Screams come from the nether reaches and will plague your dreams..GUARANTEED.
"God Help Us" is just those words coming from the walls like something out of the Nightmare on Elm Street films.
" Only Flesh" is another verbal work with added whispers that are infused between metronomic heartbeats.
The
Azoic created this style of darkwave as musical entertainment long before
many others dared to venture into this horizon. The band manages to provide
frightening soundscapes and eerie music without having to resort to anything
demonic or anti-religious. Since this discs initial release, many
others
have
come along in the dark wave genre but NO ONE does dark wave like this.
Some of these selections are available on Mp3.com and I would encourage
the curious to sample these songs as well as their more industrial uptempo
songs that they have begun to develop. If you really like scary sounding
music then this is a MUST for your collection.
Band
Members on this Disc:
Steve
Laskarides: keyboards, programming, effects, vocals
Shawn
Lower: vocals, keyboards, lyrics
Kristy
Venrick: vocals, keyboards, lyrics
Tracks:
1.
Nilaihah
2.
Drown (pulsating mix)
3.
Terrible Space
4.
Intimate Incisions
5.
Summoning
6.
Terrible Space ( Oneiroid Psychosis Remix)
7.
I Tried To Warn You ( Flesh Field/ Decay/ Theory Remix)
8.
The Sad Word
9.
Drown
10.
The Sad Word ( Desert Mix)
11.
God Help Us
12.
Only Flesh
Web
page: http://www.nilaihah.com
Email:
nilaihah@nilaihah.com
Babylonian
Tiles
Teknicolour
Aftermath
~reviewed
by Matthew
One of the most welcomed additions to the dark music underground, there is just no other band quite like Babylonian Tiles. Even if there were, they would still come out on top, as they play their music with a rare passion and conviction and openly have a blast doing so. Known for blending elements of dark psychedelia with vintage post-punk/goth rock, the California based Tiles have been giving us chills and helping us see colours for five plus years now and two full-length albums, “Basking In The Sun At Midnight” and “Green Midnight Glow.”
They
have returned in the year 2000 geared up for a small tour and a new CD
of reworkings of some of their best tracks and a few new songs, such as
the cover of the Donovan classic “Season Of The Witch.” This
would definitely be a great introduction to this band, as it is comprised
of some of their best tracks. For those of you who have never heard
them, imagine a harder incarnation of the Doors mixed with elements of
Bauhaus and old Christian Death, crowned with the sensual witchy vocals
of Bryna Golden and you will smile and understand. For those of you
already familiar with the band and have one or both the
CDs,
you still might want to pick this up as the production is fuller and much
clearer than the St. Thomas releases from a few years back.
The Tiles will be on tour this summer, and having seen them a few times now, I can safely recommend their hypnotic and highly energetic set. You will be engrossed, as every performance is very different and in true psychedelic style, much of the performance is improvised. Please check them out if they are stopping by a city near you. If you want to learn more about Babylonian Tiles, please click on over to the interview I just completed this month with the ‘Hip Death Goddess’ herself.
Track
List:
1.)
Boulevard (version 2000)
2.)
Electrified Eyes
3.)
Each Dying Breath
4.)
Your Universe Is Creeping
5.)
Rain People
6.)
Season Of The Witch
7.)
Teknicolour Aftermath
8.)
Reasons For Grey (version 2000)
9.)
House Of Cards
10.)
Far Far Away (version 2000)
11.)
Crystal Gavel (version 2000)
Babylonian
Tiles are:
Bryna
Golden (aka, the Hip Death Goddess™)- vocals, keyboards
Tim
Thayer - guitar
Brian
Schreiber - drums
Christian
Ramsey - bass
http://www.babylonian-tiles.com
HEAR
BABYLONIAN TILES:
http://www.mp3.com/BabylonianTiles
I
AM SHE...THE HIP DEATH GODDESS™:
http://www.hipdeathgoddess.net
PANGEA
MUSIC INTERNATIONAL LLC:
http://www.pangeamusic.com
The
Cruxshadows
The
Mystery of the Whisper
~reviewed
by Kimberly
"The Mystery of the Whisper" (out on Dancing Ferret Discs), the stunning follow up to the band's "Telemetry of a Fallen Angel" is a magnum opus that seamlessly intertwines classic, Gothic-era elements with a thoroughly modern sound. The anger that had been prevalent on the former album has been replaced by a more mature, sadder tone. Songs with such titles as "Heaven's Gaze", "Regrets", and "Even Angels Fall" displays Rogue's attempt to not make his listeners full of rage as to make them think and feel. The album overall stirs the soul; Rogue and the rest of the band forces the listener to look inside him or herself. The band employs universal sentiments that manage to touch the individual.
"Cruelty" is the band's new dance single. When I first heard it, I thought it was about love. However, while listening to the recorded version, it's not about a love affair gone wrong at all. The song seems to be more about the cruelty and callousness of the outside world; and the struggle of trying to be a sensitive person inside of it. Simultaneously, Rogue sings about the personal hurt of being no angel while being empathic to the world's sorrows; and living for one's dreams.
"Sympathy (For Tomorrow)" is the first of the two songs on the album that actually brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it. The poignant violins, delicate keyboards, and amazingly light guitars before the lyrics evoke a reaction before the lyrics, which opens the listener's own guarded sorrow, commence. With Rogue's gentle, heartbreakingly smooth vocals, and lyrics such as "'a little more respect was buried here'", one can't help but empathize with the feeling of pain and sorrow plainly in Rogue's heart.
"MONUMENT" is the last track with lyrics on the album. It's a sad song. Really sad; as in be prepared to have your heart ripped open sad. I had been listening to this album with my boyfriend, and I started crying uncontrollably, without being quite able to explain why. The lyrics, about lost love, and his regret of not creating anything to display his love while she was still in his life. The song is a "monument" to the fallen relationship. It's an incredibly poignant song about regret. In fact, Rogue's voice during the ballad reminds me of the Poppy Z. Brite short story, "Optional Music for Voice and Piano". It's a tale about a singer, whose voice is so rawly emotional, and touches people in such a basic, primal manner, that they go crazy; or have heart attacks, or commit suicide. It has a similar inexplicable yet very tangible despondency to it. I don't know if it's a compliment or not, but I couldn't help making the comparison.
The
Cruxshadows are:
Rogue-
Vocals, violin, sequences, keyboards, programs, words & music
Chris
Brantley- Keyboards, analog modeling, backing vocals
Kevin
Page- Guitar
Rachel
McDonnell- keyboards, violin, backing vocals
Tracks:
1.
Isis & Osiris (Life/Death)
2.
Cruelty
3.
Leave Me Alone
4.
Insomnia
5.
Breathe
6.
Regrets
7.
Confusion
8.
Sympathy (for Tomorrow)
9.
Aten-Ra
10.
"Do you believe…"
11.
Heaven's Gaze
12.
Heart On My Sleeve
13.
"There are some secrets…"
14.
Nothing
15.
Even Angels Fall
16.
MONUMENT
17.
Death/Reunite
Webpage:
The
Cruxshadows
Label:
Dancing
Ferret
See
aslo our Feature on The Cruxshadows at Dragon*Con in the September
Archive of StarVox
Dragon*Con
Pictures
The
Cruxshadows
The
Mystery Of The Whisper
~Reviewed
By: Mike Ventarola
The Cruxshadows ( pronounced: Croo - shadows) latest offering, demonstrates this band is built to last. Many have heard their song "Monsters" on the Black Bible compilation and may be anticipating some more of the same playful spooky goth dance chords. Wipe that sound from your head and take notice that this band strives for yet another sound that will begin a new rage. "The Mystery Of The Whisper" brilliantly combines elements of Egyptian style sounds and marries them to Gothic Industrial chords on some of the songs featured on this disc. The current "hit" being passed around these days is "Cruelty" however that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of how wonderful this CD sounds. The lyrics are timely and poetic that you may find yourself listening to a particular passage repeatedly, somewhat stunned that the gammut of your emotions have been put to recorded music like no other artist has done in quite some time.
The only major drawback is the print inside the CD cover which is rather small, especially for some of us "elder" Goths, however the band humbly apologizes for this. Considering the scope and the breadth in which they have created this body of work , it is seriously doubted that their fans will mind all too much.
"Isis/Osiris (Life/ Death )" begins with a bit of drumming that evolves into reverberated chanting. Electronic pulses collide with ethereal middle eastern blends and tones. Welcome upon the sands of time where past meets the present.
"Cruelty" is a brilliant bit of poetry set to music. A touch of wind and spooky goth chords opens this track which allows us to indignantly broach the heartlessness of others. The track is quite danceable with subtle weavings of the middle eastern tones. The chorus forthrightly declares "cruelty and consequence cannot eliminate this relevance/ Your selfishness , your hatefulness cannot take away my immanence/ cruelty and consequence cannot eliminate this relevance/ your selfishness, your hatefulness cannot take away my innocence from me."
"Leave Me Alone" pulses with electronic bubbles and drum beats that sear into the chasm of ones mind to unleash a Gothic anthem about being a "freak." Rogue starts this song in an almost pondering stance which he further challenges by unleashing the cry to "leave me alone I dont want to be a part of your world." Upon delivering the refrain, Rogues vocals singe the nerves to feel total empathy and identification for one who is forced to undergo the scrutiny and provocation of a mindless unsympathetic world. Any Goth who ever had to be the target of the "jock" mentality will fully appreciate this song.
"Insomnia" has church style gongs and a clock like ticking that segues into ethereal swirls and electronic rhythmic drumming. The vocals are up front yet there are also spoken suggestions that emanate from the background. This is best heard with the headset on, as this was totally missed while it was playing on the stereo. This song deals with the terror of a cold handed apparition that jars you from your reverie, leaving you intrigued and terrified.
"Breathe" opens with a bombastic orchestration that yields to a mid-tempo industrial style groove. Stylistically, this song is reminiscent of some of the early New Wave music from the eighties. The chorus is catchy and mentally repetitive, which is almost liberating ; "And I am the face you see within the mirror / And I am the hand that holds the fist away / And I am the dream forgotten in the morning / And I amI am" It seems almost impossible not to take in a deep breath and sing along with Rogue with yet another skillful choral declaration that seems to quietly demand audience participation.
"Regrets" once again pulses with low, sharp electronic chords in a dance beat. We confront the reflection of a child like vision coupled with adult cynicism. " Have you ever heard the butterfly cry? / would you sacrifice beauty for adrenaline?/ and would he hate you if he died?"
"Confusion" has a dark sci - fi sound of badly tuned radio frequencies in a back drop of starkness. The background vocals and the up front delivery are very reminiscent of early David Bowie which further demonstrates the scope that this band is able to bring to recorded sound.
"Sympathy (For Tomorrow)" provides a simple piano opening which sounds like falling leaves. The violin harmonizes with the piano while a steady drum and cymbal effect converge into a mid -tempo. " I dont care if time just passes us by/ I can stand the change / but not the cruelty / too many promises / too many lies / too many faces for me to know." Toward the end of the song, a recitation of E.A. Poes poem "Spirits of the Dead" is very skillfully delivered and blended into the song.
"Aten - Ra" takes middle eastern sound to a new height with this hybrid between ancient and modern sound reproduced on modern equipment. This is an homage to the Egyptian Gods that would do the Pharaohs proud.
"Do you believe.." is not a song but a sound byte that asks if we believe in angels. We then hear a phone ring and the sound of one who is disconnected. No comments necessary.
"Heavens Gaze" segues from the preceding sound byte. " Gods and Angels and devils smile/ stare into our crying eyes/ fire in anger and hate beguile/ but look into your heart tonight," is another chorus that will continue to play in your head after hearing this piece. Middle Eastern sounds are layered under a very modern dance groove to again provide a unique hybrid.
"Heart On My Sleeve" poetically focuses on a doomed relationship, "your eyes/ they often lie/ and leave me feeling misunderstood / our tragedy plays out like a symphony / a breath and a whisper are your only clue." This tune has a Pet Shop Boys flavor to it but with more heartbreak and less cynical angst.
"There Are Some Secrets" is another sound byte with church bells and electronic swirls. It is whispered that "there are some secrets no one understands."
"Nothing" frothily bursts into a heavy dance and electro groove that seems to quietly remind us the things we do for fun which ultimately can be self destructive and leave us totally devoid of anything at all including our own lives.
"Even Angels Fall" sounds like a descent from the heavens that is accompanied by the mournful tension that is rendered by the violin chords. " I beg for comfort with inadequate verse/ it meant so much to meand so little to her / and I am sinking into a mountain of self pity / why cant I simply disregard all the things I feel?" which ends on a harsh gunshot like sound and then ocean waves.
"Monuments" segues from the previous song with waves that are encroaching the shore. The violins are mournful and play a somber and sorrowful duet with the keyboard accompaniment. The layers are built yet again to sound almost Celtic. Rogue pulls out all the stops with this passionate ballad about not writing that love song for the one he loved and now it is too late. His chorus, "but I will build this monument to remember all the love we ever had / and Ill close my eyes and make it how it used to be / I swear I never stopped loving you with everything I am / and it hurts so much to think you stopped loving me," exudes such painful and truthful emotion that it is almost impossible not to get a tad bit misty eyed.
Again, Rogue treats us to another recitation of an excerpt from La Belle Dame Sans Merci by W.B. Keats.
"Death/ Reunite" begins as a mournful piano rendition that again blends and suffuses with Celtic symmetry. It is a marvelously bittersweet instrumental finale for an album that is worth every penny of the purchase price.
The Cruxshadows manage to take the Gothic sensibility to heart felt introspection. There is a lot of pride and humility carefully woven into the body of songs which makes the entire outfit so endearing that you cant help but cheer their success. Rogue takes his lyrics to such impassioned heights when he sings the choral verses that you want to sing along and, somehow, he makes you feel like he wouldnt mind the company along the way. Many of these songs have generous dance beats geared for club play. The real "whisper" from this CD comes from listening to it alone with your headset on. All the subtle nuances come bursting to the forefront, that is seems as if the band made this CD exclusively for you. Make no mistake, Rogue doesnt just "sing" these lyrics, he feels them and relives the agony and the ecstasy which may get missed during a club playing. He surrounds his voice around the lyric in gentle lilting ways that only the headset can truly pinpoint the passion of the rendition to its fullest height which allows us to feel it along with him.
This is such a stunning CD which will only garner this band many more fans along the way. Dancing Ferret Discs will be running into overtime for additional pressings on this outing.
Track
Listing:
1.
Isis & Osiris ( Life/Death)
2.
Cruelty
3.
Leave Me Alone
4.
Insomnia
5.
Breathe
6.
Regrets
7.
Confusion
8.
Sympathy ( For Tomorrow)
9.
Aten - Ra
10.
"Do You Believe"
11.
Heavens Gaze
12.
Heart On My Sleeve
13.
"There Are Some Secrets"
14.
Nothing
15.
Even Angels Fall
16.
Monument
17.
Death/ Reunite
Band
Lineup:
Rogue
- Vocals, violin, sequencers, keyboards, programs, lyric & music
Kevin
Page- Guitar
Rachel
McDonnell - Keyboards, violin, backing vocals
Chris
Brantley - Keyboards, analog modeling, backing vocals
Official
Web Page: http://members.tripod.com/~Darkage98/cruxshadows.htm
To
Join Email list: cruxshadows-subscribe@onelist.com
Released
by:
Dancing
Ferret Discs
4939
Catherine Street # 3F
Philadelphia,
PA 19143
Web:
www.ferret.com/discs/
Darkness
And The Machine
Volume
2
~reviewed
By BlackOrpheus
Detroit is justifiably renowned for it's contributions to music. The gothic - industrial label Carpe Mortem is a prime example. It was officially launched in 1998 with it's first Darkness And The Machine compilation. It featured a bevy of Detroit's finest gothic - industrial acts. With Darkness And The Machine - Volume 2, they return with a lineup that features several non - Detroit bands. This is a decent collection. While it is filled with adequate and quite capable tracks; it is the gems that make this a work with requiring.
Attrition's "Atomizer" is the opening track on this disc. It was a delicious repast. This track is why Attrition is an especial favorite of mine. This is pure dance material pregnant with remix possibilities. The arrangement was consistent and clever. The beats played upon each other with a dark majesty that was bewitching. I liked the fact that the vocals never took precedence over the music, they didn't need to. They supported it, but in an unobtrusive way. Overall, this is quality Attrition.
The Unquiet Void's "Spirit" was superbly crafted. New York native Jason Wallach articulates himself beautifully here. I absolutely reveled in the lush sound textures. There were no vocals to speak of here. There were long drawn out sighs, rattles, and drums - the synth work was excellent throughout. This was atmospheric - ethereal, with tribal elements. I adored it, and hope to hear more.
The New York Room's "The Thistle In The Kiss" was another arresting composition. I really like this band. I was amazed the first time I heard them. The breadth of their abilities seems unlimited. This song has elements of triphop, it was reminiscent of Portishead, and yet a wholly New York Room original. The vocals were delivered in a dusky, sensual fashion. Kudos once again New York Room, excellent work.
Darkness And The Machine - Volume 2 was a pleasant way of passing the time. It is a place I'll revisit again, as one drops in upon an old friend. There is much to praise here. Gossamer is worth mentioning as well. Their track "Sweetest Misery" was sublime. I hope to hear more from Carpe Mortem Records, I have reason to believe they will prosper. I think you will enjoy this disc as I did.
Track
Listing:
1. Attrition - Atomizer (custom mother) Listen
2. Oneiroid Psychosis - October Listen
3. Shadow to Ashes - Detonation
4. Gossamer - Sweetest Misery
5. Mindless Faith - All These Years
6. Morphine Angel - Dancer
7. Ceoxime - Horror Inside
8. Unquiet Void - Spirit*
9. The Azoic - The Distance
10.
Stare - St. Michael's Litany
11.
Ickytrip - The Passage
12.
Dragon Tears Descending - Wither (Labyrinth Mix)
13.
Babylonian Tiles - Extended Holiday
14.
DeLIEN - Quantum Foam
15.
The New York Room - The Thistle in the Kiss
Web
Site: Carpe Mortem Records
http://www.records.carpemortem.com/
Label
Address:
Carpe
Mortem Records, LLC.
400
Bagley Ave, Suite 707
Detroit,
MI 48226
Death
In June
Operation
Hummingbird
~reviewed
by Matthew
Continuing along with the surrealist manipulation of static and classical orchestration, Douglas P has returned with a short EP picking up where “Take Care & Control” left off in 1998. Even more intense in its strangeness, abrasiveness, and cacophony, this release is very effective in messing with your mind. I adore it. Of course, I think I would enjoy anything Douglas P creates, but this is very different. Though not as smooth and folky as the classic Death in June of “Symbols Shatter” or “Brown Book,” this I suppose is the new direction of Douglas’ endless spring of bitter creativity and addictive misanthropy.
The album opens with “Gorilla Tactics,” a short unnerving intro track with screams, cuckoo clocks, and whispers atop an odd drumbeat. The songs lyrically expresses Douglas’ distaste of DIJ being banned in Switzerland. The next track, “Kapitulation” has a memorable, anthematic quality to it. The music is very dense and throbbing, with loud blasting horns and weird chants all meshing around what sounds like Wagner or some familiar classical passage slowed down and pitch shifted to create a weird ‘melting’ effect. Very cool…and lovely in its grating claustrophobia. “Flieger” comes up next and starts off with more chants, and then busts into a hypnotic psychedelic groove, with creepy female operatic vocals in the background. Again, Douglas P’s smooth, distinctive English voice just flows atop the music.
“Snows of the Enemy” is a reworking of the melodies from “Frost Flowers;” totally different lyrics, but the music is recognizable from the prior album. “Hand Grenades & Olympic Flames” is comprised of classic DIJ brass arrangements, as well as strings, bells, and weird samples. A very cool and melancholic track, though “Winter Eagle” follows and is by far my favourite track on the CD. A militant waltz is delivered by strings with very strange background effects and accents of disharmonic pitch bends. Douglas crowns the track with his lulling narration and bitter misanthropy. One of my all time DIJ songs now. The EP closes with “Let The Wind Catch A Rainbow On Fire.” A playful flute and string melody sneaks in and out of the entire album, but appears here in its hypnotic entirety.
Overall, my only complaint is that the CD is too damn short, clocking in at just under a half an hour. I was not disappointed in the least at the content of this new material, though I do warn that if you are not familiar with the “Take Care & Control” album, this is going to be quite a change of pace for you if “Rose Cloud of Holocaust” or “What Ends When The Symbols Shatter?” were the last albums you heard. Not the best DIJ to start with if you are unfamiliar with them, but if you are a fan, don’t pass this up. These are new studio tracks that are not available anywhere else. If you are a fan or dark noise and experimental, the bizarre loops and samples and effects encompassing this CD will surely please you.An excellent exercise in nightmarish claustrophobia and musical mesmerism!
Track
List:
1.)
Gorilla Tactics
2.)
Kapitulation
3.)
Flieger
4.)
The Snows Of The Enemy (Little Black Baby)
5.)
Hand Grenades And Olympic Flames
6.)
Winter Eagle
7.)
Let The Wind Catch A Rainbow On Fire
Death
In June is:
Douglas
P.
Assisted
by: Albin Julius (of Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud)
Official
Web Site:
www.deathinjune.net
sKot’s
DIJ page:
www.brainwashed.com/dij
Tesco
Records:
www.morpharts.de/tesco-org.html.
B.M.
June
London
WC1N 3XX
England
Meg
Lee Chin
Piece
and Love
Music
Review by Jett Black
"I saw the best minds of my generation caught up in the virtual reality of living, memorizing pin numbers and secret codes, swaying robotically to non-existant rhythms, flashing memberships to clubs so exclusive nobody belongs..." from Nutopia by Meg Lee Chin - http://www.MegLeeChin.com/
Pouring chaos and a sick fascination with love, life, and what the hell it all may possibly mean together, we've all come to breed dissonance into art and life into music. And now, the music has come to life... Meg Lee Chin's debut album, Piece and Love, released in late September 1999, reflects the most fantastic in your face industrial-soaked mantras encountered by this writer. Piece and Love remains in perpetual motion.
Piece and Love, released in the Fall of the last millennium, reached my grateful ears on a few weeks ago, and still tops the playlist on my stereo! If you only knew how much music... O! Nevermind!
Challenge your mind to lift from each track the connotative meanings. Spin the cd again, and again. Intelligence with a paper plate, a silver spoon, and a chemical rage against the dissonance of the norm: enter Meg Lee Chin. Follow this with a quite discipline to persevere, to push harder than you will, to split the strands that separate policy and fate.
"Is it heaven? Or is it hell? Or is this what you call a life?" (Sweat it Out)
An organic, melancholic, spiritual machine that won't quit when the music stops, because for Meg Lee Chin, the music never stops. Like a score to life, it plays on incessantly. Churning and burning and grinding away at the fabric of comfort, decimating the forever debatable, blurring lines between sanity and truth.
"Try harder, must try harder...Work, Sweat, Work, Sweat, Work, Sweat, Sweat, Sweat..." (Thing)
Carl Hanni, who wrote most of the following biography, writes, "It's a rare thing indeed to find someone who believes in staying true to their own artistic impulses, which is why London-based electronics whiz Meg Lee Chin comes across as such an exhilarating blast of fresh air."
Touring and recording with PIGFACE dropped Meg Lee Chin in to the spotlight of modern music on and off stage. Now, Meg Lee Chin makes a "fiercely indeprendent" solo debut with Piece and Love, released on Invisible Records.
Piece and Love, recorded in her London flat then mixed and edited by producer Martin Atkins, draws upon angst and observations, interactions and intolerance which malcontent Meg Lee Chin exhumes and vividly spray paints upon a wall of uncompromising music. Striving to grasp a sense of balance from within amid a world in social chaos Meg says, "...I'd be very pleased if I could just be normal. I became a singer because I have an overwhelming desire to express a lot of the pain that goes on in this world, and to express how cynical I am as a result of it. I'm not proud of it, but I am generally more of a social malcontent than most people and that's really colored by my early background."
Meg grew up perceived as a horrid young princess on a pedestal overlooking the slums of Taipei in Taiwan. Her mother Taiwanese, and her father a US Air Force electronics engineer. "...the Air Force put us there until we found more permanent accomodations," Meg reflects. "You could walk out on the balcony of my playroom and see this whole shanty town: you'd get all the little barefoot kids looking up at me, going '0h, that rich little princess in the castle, how lucky.' With older sisters and mother often away shopping, her father at work, and a genuinely indifferent Taiwanese maid as an occasional overseer, Meg turned toward playing music on a phonograph when not pre-occupied with school.
When Meg's family re-located to Pembroke, Massachusetts, the culture clash turned against her once again. "Living in the middle of two cultures is really weird," she laughs, When I lived in America, I was 'you chink,' while when I lived in Taiwan I was 'you rich white bitch.' Probably the only time I did belong was when I was hanging out with my juvenile delinquent friends in Massachusetts, but my folks moved us to California from Massachusetts because I just kept getting arrested. I wasn't your most stable teenager!" Meg's high school guidance counselor suggested that Meg might be better of in San Francisco and soon Meg found herself re-locating once again. After a while, Meg found her interests returning again to music. "My first gig was in a redneck pub. I got up and screamed this old Del Shannon song called 'Runaway' at the top of my lungs. The reaction was almost totally hostile, but it didn't matter: somehow, I got it into my head that I could be a really good singer."
Meg's first musical group, Felix Natural, sputtered in and out of existence with barely a trace of recognition "At the time, everyone was wearing black and chains and being all Gothy," Meg says, "I deliberately came out onstage wearing a Doris Day dress, nylon stockings and secretary pumps, and drinking a glass of milk. Everyone was mortified; the guitarist and drummer quit the band the next day!"
While studying video production and experimental art at San Fracisco State University, Meg spent a brief period as sound engineer for the university cafe and produced the first demo of school friends Faith No More on a four-track portable studio.
After the demise of another project, Teknofear, Meg launched to London; subsequently forming Crunch, an all-girl rock band she now laughingly describes as, "something like a grunge Spice Girls, except we had better songs and played our own instruments." After the dissolution of the Soviet Republic, Crunch had the distinction of becoming the first Western rock band to play in the Ukraine. However, the girls made little impression at home. "Our manager had this brilliant idea that we would never play live," says Meg. "We were just holed up in the recording studio the entire time. The good thing was that I learned a lot about engineering during that period."
Meg subsequently received an offer to audition for Garbage (before the advent of Shirley Manson) which resulted in a disappointing case of square pegs vs. round holes. Not to worry, Meg's fantastic vocal abilities soon found an outlet in Pigface, the unreserved and unpredictable industrial project led by drummer Martin Atkins of PIL, Killing Joke, Ministry, etc. "Pigface is the best live band ever," Meq insists, "They're just totally spontaneous; I did four or five tours with them because I loved it so much. Pigface tours, only happened about once every eighteen months, so the rest of the time I spent in my flat in London, working on demos and teaching myself audio engineering."
Piece and Love slowly evolved in Meg's living room. "The whole album was recorded on my computer" she says. "I used a sampler, a guitar, a bass, an analogue valve pre-amp, my Tannoy monitors, and my Pro-Mix One mixing desk. Martin took all the basic tracks that I recorded, and he chopped them and added his bits, like that really great bass sound on 'Heavy Scene'."
Meg's initiative and independence in audio engineering in the production of such a compelling debut bears pride and recognition which could alert other independently minded musicians to seize control of their own recording destinies. "I think there are going to be a lot of people who'll hear Piece and Love and go, 'Fuck! That little squirt did her own album,'" predicts Meg. "It might not have the expensive sheen you'd get from the studios that cost a million pounds a day, but I'm a pretty good songwriter and I think that definitely comes through, I like to think I've got fairly good taste, and that's something that's very rare, nowadays!"
Piece
and Love tracks:
Thing
- guitars, vox, keyboards and Programming - Meg Lee chin. Sampled guitar
- Fuzz D. Mixed by Martin Atkins at The Waiting Room.
More of a sing song, pleasure seeking groove through the darkened mosh pit of a club in L.A. long since gone, but quite the Sodom 'back in the Day'. I get so lost in my own memories, which have somehow become fused to the lyrics, when I listen to this music that's it's difficult for me to focus on anything not fused to the music... like what is this supposed to mean? And what's it made of? The opening lyrics actually speak of how, "It was a really boring night in Manchester," says Meg. And then the frantic trance of the hip hop dance and jungle grooves take over and "Helter Skelter" is thrown into the jungle, and the obsessive superego drives in and commands the body to let lose of the dissonance, focus and achieve. It's turmoil. It's chaos. It's set to music, and because it's real, it's beautiful this way.
Heavy Scene - guitar, vox, keyboards and programming - Meg Lee Chin. Mixed by Martin Atkins at The Waiting Room.
Of all the memorable songs on Piece and Love, Heavy scene is the one I hear in my head in the morning, even when the cd is again begging to be spun. This is hyper. I hear this and I imagine it's me having this much fun singing this song up on the stage, in the crowds. This is it! This is that fully-integrated song where you and your crowd are one, jumping, singing, felling the moment, sweating and exhilerating one another.
Nutopia - guitar, vox, keyboards, and programming - Meg Lee Chin. Guitars - Steve Crittall. Drums - Martin Atkins. Mixed by Martin Atkins at The Waiting Room.
Meg Lee Chin, prophetess on campus, in the street, carousing and gathering the crowd together in story and song. This one is by far the most recognizable, from years with PIGFACE. Listen to it again in relation now to all these other fantastic trips by Meg Lee Chin. One of the most widely quotable cds ever, the Nutopia track on Piece and Love seems more of a mantra and marching chant for those who love it than any other.
Sweat - guitars, keyboard and programming - Lee Fraser. Vox - Meg Lee Chin. Mixed by Martin Atkins and Chris Greene at ASI, Chicago.
Climb into your workout. Climb into your car and roll the windows down. let it all hang out ... "'cuz it's time to sweat it out!" Meg's irony and wit cuts through the b.s. like tight ropes cutting into skin. You won't walk away unscathed.
Swallowing You - guitar, vox, keyboards and programming - Meg Lee Chin. Bass & Guitars - Steve Crittall. Mixed by Martin Atkins at The Waiting Room. Manipulated at ASI, Chicago.
Flying into the release that is not catharsis, but instead escape. Exhilarating and liberating, you can taste the smiles and feel the freedom pouring from your body just imagining dancing to this music. Everything about this song screams spontaneity, liberation, uncertainty, and adrenaline bliss.
Sweet Thing - vox, keyboards and programming - Meg Lee Chin. Bass & Guitars - Steve Crittall. Talkvox - Mel Palmer.
And this... is the antithesis of "Swallowing You"! And I believe everyone can relate to the horrid self-loathing associated with the emotional sickness that sometimes follows impulsivity, regret, and a certain compulsion to reconcile.
Bottle - guitar, vox, keyboards and programming - Meg Lee Chin. Mixed and re-mixed by Martin Atkins at The Waiting Room.
Wavering in an out of visual clarity, racked in confusion and the sense of crying out to the world and not being heard, recognized, worthy, so much chaos and alcohol, and nightmares, and delerium, rather than dreams, depression, disconnection, disorientation... and then you wake up with a hangover listening to this song.
London - guitar, vox, keyboards and programming - Meg Lee Chin. Mixed by Martin Atkins at The Waiting Room.
Insomniatic perseverence, forgetting why? but it just goes on, the routine of self-persecution so familiar it's a mantra, a personal philosophy, a way of stability and consistency in existence. It has it's hang-ups, but at least you know what they are and can depend on them to be there for you. That's the mellow groove I get from this song. It's very relaxing. In my own mind, it's kind of a trippy ride through all these things I've described.
Deeper - guitar, vox, keyboards and programming - Meg Lee Chin. Vox - Jenny B. Mixed by Meg Lee Chin and Martin Atkins at Egg Studio and The Waiting Room.
Sexually seductive grindcore. Get into it, go thru it. Become part of it. Opening with sharply honest perspective. Bold truth can be very sexy. It's tough. Straight forward... raunchy in its richness. The music itself is so sexually compelling it's difficult to type. Slave to the beat.
Swallowing You (Subgenius Mix) - Keyboards and Programming - Martin King. Vox - Meg Lee Chin.
Deja vu... it hardly seems that way though.... this version seems so much more warped into the dance. I get lost in it... swimming through it. 'Swallowed up' in it. No doubt, nor confusion. It will absorb you. Get lost in it... hip-hop trance-dance.
The entrancing DIGIPAK cd packaging features artistry by photographic specialists Phoenix, and David Freeman.
Meg
Lee Chin - Meg@MegLeeChin.com
http://www.MegLeeChin.com/
Meg's Engineering credits include:
FOR
PUBLICITY, CONTACT. CARL HANNI - MOD MEDIA
PO
Box 5341, PORTLAND OR, 97228 PH/Fx: 503-239-8010 EMAIL: modmedia@teleport.com
INVISIBLE
RECORDS
PO
BOX 16008 CHICAGO, IL 60616 USA
PHONE/FAX:
312- 421-1443 - email: invisihq@aol.com
Margot
Day
Sacred!
~reviewed
by Mike Ventarola
Margot Day has already garnered many accolades for her work with Beastie Boy’s Adam Yauch and Nada Surf’s Ira Elliot as well as many other musical luminaries. Her website hits range in the 2k arena daily which indicates a growing underground phenomenon via word of mouth and club play. Clearly the solo work by this artist is forging new sonic frontiers, not unlike what Lene Lovich did in the 80’s. Day’s vocals manage to collide with the stratosphere and pierce it from the inside. Not since Lovich has any female singer come forth with an infectious style that is at once unusual, danceable, and unlike anything you may have heard before. The artist was classically trained in voice and flute, yet she demonstrates the ability to take it five steps beyond. She incorporates a hybrid of pop, goth, rock, techno, and industrial and whips it into a frothing new shape then delivers it back to the audience in a myriad of ways they would least expect.
"CyberDreams" starts as though it would be goth, transmutes into electro/industrial and then becomes something other worldly. Is it danceable? Hell yes. It also replays in your head and pulls us down the path that Day is marching us towards. One can’t help but feel that she is smirking and innocently saying to us to unleash our minds from any expectations. She will fill in any blanks you may have.
"Neptune" weaves dark percussion and electro EBM. The sonic blender is on frappe creating something that is 20 years ahead of itself. Vocally she starts out in a lower register, then soars the octaves through the layers of music offering elements of a dramatic futuristic opera diva .
"Wicked & Wize" mixes a touch of hip hop, EBM, industrial and middle eastern flavored vocals. At this point, it seems as if the artist is daring us to ignore her. It is impossible to do so. Just sit back and enjoy the ride because this is not something just anyone can attempt to create and make palatable.
"Radiating" is a funky grooving song that yet again pushes the envelope to flirt, undulate and castigate all at once.
"Sacred Life" dramatically opens with gothic style gongs, interlaced with militaristic drums and ambient sounds. Day has slowed the music down only momentarily to pull us into the drama of her world and vision.
"HereAfter" sounds like a post apocalyptic ambient lamentation where Day makes us feel devastation. Just when you think the song is going to stay relaxed, she becomes the growling banshee of retribution, rocking into the night. Here she takes her vocals on an excursion of high end soprano notes to low end rasp to push her message across.
"25th Hour" plays with sound samples and loops and just about any thing else she could get her hands on. This is Dali’s surrealistic clock painting come alive through sound.
"SoBeautifulSoDeadly" nods towards early punk rock but again mixes with so many hybrids that it is unclassifiable. This is the nano-second reinterpretation of Rilke’s quote about the terror of beauty.
"Sacred Dance" is an amalgamation of goth, industrial, illbient, EBM and pop all rolled into the vortex of a sonic Goddess who seems to have more mental tones in her head than the average human.
"Zenotopia" is probably the closest we come to traditional goth with the wolf howls, bubbling cauldron sounds, and wicked laughter. Day doesn’t stop there though. She includes a metronomic percussion to keep time with the bubbling and the wind which whips through the song at pertinent intervals. This is yet again another song, this time gothic, that is 20 years ahead of itself.
The Daydream section incorporates a live improvisation of tracks 11 through 13. It is not for the nervous and those less inclined to expand upon their exposure to something different. This part of the disc can be quite unnerving. If Day demonstrates that she can take ordinary genres and recreate them, imagine what she can do to totally terrify you! Let’s just say this section is the Exorcist meets Diamanda Galas and Jarboe and goes beyond THAT.
In some ways, Day is like Alice in the proverbial wonderland, only she is playing the role of Mad Hatter. She takes the boundaries of sound to swoop and swirl like a mad queen bee in a psychotic dive bomb. Despite the amount of movement and focus on switching the parameters of sound, you secretly get the feeling that Day is peering out of the corner of her eye, anticipating our next reaction. She stays focused and makes it appear as if she is not aware that we are present in her psychedelic world, but she is in full control of this work and knows just how to grab each reaction from us, her captive audience.
Tracks:
1.
CyberDreams
2.
Neptune
3.
Wicked & Wize
4.
Radiating
5.
Sacred Life
6.
HereAfter
7.
25th Hour
8.
SoBeautifulSoDeadly
9.
Sacred Dance
10.
Zenatopia
11.
Daybreak
12.
High Noon
13.
Knight
Website:
www.margotday.com
E-mail:
margot@together.net
Distorted
Reality
Distorted
Reality
~review
by Sonia Leonard
Having
listened to the five track cd I have more good than bad to comment on.
I found the vocals of Martha M. Arce to be very deep in sincerity
and projection but if not watched may court the danger of sounding repetitive.
While her voice is pleasant I fear her range is unfortunately limited.
The subject matter she has chosen to write in her lyrics are mostly what
you would hear of anyone who has lost someone they want to continue to
love.
Kept,
of course, to the gothic fashion of writ and it’s trade mark angst.
I would like to see her perform if her voice is any indication of her stage
presence.
I appreciated the different styles of music put forward by Christian Kobusch. Imagination, being able to create melodies completely different from one song to the next is the mark of a true talent, (in my opinion) and Christian proves he has that. Together they make a good pair. This cd was copywritten in 1998, and hopefully more people will get a hold of it.
I listened to the whole cd many times and not without a critical ear. My observations are without prejudice, as with all reviews. What I have given is my soul felt opinion, starting with track number one.
1. You Want Me, You Hate Me- Starts almost retro. Kinda fun but not perky, rather sassy and sexy. Conflicts of the heart , body and soul in need. You can almost see a dominant/submissive relationship here.
“I’m
coming to get you. You’ll be all right.
I’m
crawling under your skin.
Save
me tonight.
I
am here.
Feel
the touch, it’s curse. You miss it so much.
Save
me tonight
I
am here.”
It’s really a catchy song. Vocals are bold at some points and pleading in others, adding to the conflict in the whole piece. After listening to it six times in a row I can say it is a winner in my opinion.
2. Drop- This song cuts dramatically from the first track. With great Faith and Muse type vocals and Edenesque flavors. It is a very compelling song. It makes you want to go out and dance your most passionate and tragic depiction of it. Although the length is about 5 mins, it really doesn’t seem like it. I can’t quite make out all of the lyrics but judging from the rest of the cd’s lyrics I’m sure it has something to do with loss. I would very much like to hear more of this kind of music from them.
3. Fear -Once again wonderful vocals giving the music an almost lonely soul. On the first listening the guitar/drums seemed dominant. Further listening proves a well mixed orchestral accompaniment Something you might hear in a main stream, vampire, action film, with awesome special effects in it. Listen to it and you’ll see what I mean. I noticed that vocals do seem to be a little washed out at points. Which is a shame because I like the despair and the all out passion Martha exudes in her powerfulvoice.
4 Those Eyes- “For you it was something to do. For me it was all about you.” Pretty much depicts what the song is about. Beautiful piano work when played , a little too long though. Takes away a bit from the tragedy of the song. Almost seeming too redundant towards the end.
5.In My Dream- A fast beat pausing only at the chorus momentarily. Vocals on this one seem to mimic the other songs in cadence. Which doesn’t seem to fit the music it is put with. Repeated chorus may keep from continuos play. I could almost hear it being played by some of the more main stream radio stations.
In
conclusion I can say I was impressed by this cd. I wasn’t sure at first
what to expect, but I found the different usage of instrumental sound and
almost haunting vocals to be truly well done. If you’re looking for industrial,
or something with a little bit more *umph* to it, you’d be better off avoiding
this one. For something slightly more different, you may want to check
it out.
This,
for me, was one of those cd’s that you put in wondering what it’s all about.
At first you’re not sure if you like it or not, then you find your head
kind of bobbing with the music. I prefer industrial, ebm etc., but Distorted
Reality is a nice breather from the heavier forms of music. Providing you
are open to new things. It’s great break music for those songs in-between
a nights worth of hard dancing. When you might want to sit down or get
a drink, but still want to hear something that keeps your musical interest.
If
you would like to contact Distorted Reality you can;
E-mail
-Melody King.
mking07@ibm.net
Call
-(323) 912-0165
Write-
4705
Franklin Ave. Apt. #4
Los
Angeles, CA 90027
Diverje
Existence/Program
Remix
~reviewed
by Wolf
Tommy T. of DSBP records returns with his Diverje project, offering a disc with no less than 20(!) tracks. Instead of draining the listener's wallet with a seperate remix ep, Diverje combines 12 new tracks (Existence) with an additional 7 remixes, featuring the talents of Biopsy, Razed in Black, SMP, Testure, Matrix and Noxious Emotion.
The sound of Diverje ranges from traditional EBM to more experimental forms of industrial and electro. It's diverse and very well-produced, finding its main strength in aggressively pounding yet melodious tracks. On hightlights such as "Scream for Me", the almost melancholy "Existence", the crisp and trancey "Self Denied" and the somewhat :Wumpscut:-like instrumental "Mesmer", Tommy T. shows to be quite the master of his instruments.
For a release such as this the vocals aren't sub-standard, but they don't stand out either, which might be my only point of criticism. A clearer and more distinct vocal style would surely push the music to its full potential. Other than that the Existence part of this cd is a great display of Diverje's music and skills.
Program Remix features only one remix of an Existence track ("Existence" by Noxious Emotion) and the rest are all older Diverje favorites. All remixers leave their own distinct signature, with the Biopsy, Razed in Black and Testube contributions as the most remarkable.
An excellent cd with plenty variation, great remixes and a full 72 minutes of music. Diverje gives its fans more than worth their money, which has become quite a rare phenomenon. Keep up the good work, Tommy!
Tracklisting:
[Existence]
1.
Empty
2.
Scream for me
3.
System Failed
4.
Existence
5.
Hard
6.
Self Denied
7.
Disconnect
8.
Nothing to Believe
9.
Bleeding
10.
Examine
11.
Mesmer
12.
Hiding
[track
13 is silence]
[Program
Remix]
14.
Outcast - Biopsy rmx
15.
Digitized - Biopsy rmx
16.
To Hell - Razed in Black rmx
17.
Body Worship - SMP rmx
18.
Manipulate - Testube rmx
19.
Tragic Lost - Matrix rmx
20.
Existence - Noxious Emotion rmx
Band
members:
Tommy
T.
Mike
Whitten [3,8,18]
Additional
info:
Official
web site: http://dsbp.home.ml.org
Cyberage
radio: http://cyberage.home.ml.org
Drip
Follow
The Drip
~reviewed
by Mike Ventarola
Drip packages very timely tunes that are a cross between The Cult, The Doors and somewhere between goth, post punk, alternative and psychedelica. The graphics that accompany this disc could leave art majors in a lengthy dissertation for quite some time.
"Bullwhipped" opens with creepy guitar twang that laments about the "kids" who take from one who has sacrificed for them. This is almost the message drummed out by elder parents who complain about the lack of responsiveness from their adult children.
"President Scum" takes direct aim at the previous scandals that surrounded our U.S. leader and lambastes the lies and the deceits we as a nation have had to tolerate. The song rails in punk fashion with a very catchy spoken sound that is layered underneath as a voice emerging from the water.
"She Male" never comes out to actually say anything other than to declare the beast within is causing torment. Lyrically, this is ambiguous that one can concede that either the protagonist is a she male or the angst ridden wife would like her mate to be more like her.
"O.J." with a song title such as this you would be correct in assuming it may be a nod towards a certain celebrity murder trial that riveted the world for far too long.
"Save
My Soul" is lyrically constructed with the finger on the pulse beat
of the disillusionment that surrounds the antipathy towards organized religion
today. "Controlled by fear - censor/
you
hold them dear - scriptures/ I cannot hear - racists/and you can't save
my soul." This mid tempo song is delivered rather passionately and seems
to be a point of contention and concern with writer and singer.
"Waste Of Time" is your typical angry song about being a love slave and then tossed aside like yesterdays newspaper.
"Step
Into The Light" comes the closest to sounding goth/psychedelic with this
tune about viewing the insanity of the world. The latest news headlines
are captured and lyrically translated as a post script for the end of the
20th century. " I know it feels like cloudy days/ these plastic people
blind us with their haze/
Our
leader's mouths filled with thorns hear them speak/Into this nation's lies
we are born but we're all free/
And
we see insanity And we see profanity/Should we bomb another nation enforce
our peace/With our country's blindness revelation can’t we see?"
"Make It" introspectively tackles the reality of having to rely on the self while maintaining some semblance of dignity or else veer towards insanity and delusion.
"Chronic" is another angst written punk style tune dealing with someone who is chronically late, vapid and selfish who also tends to be pedantically obnoxious. This is the grief most guys experience from having to deal with someone who is daddy’s pampered princess.
"Inside Out" represents the mental dialogue that all is not safe in the world. It is youthful concern and hopelessness towards a world gone mad and made insane by those before us. "The armored fortress that is your mind/keeps out the real world but then you find/ outside the walls that you defend/the world is dying and it's the end/The end of time."
"Circle
Jerk" is the crown of thorns worn by one who is a target of a society that
pre-judges who is redeemable and who is unworthy. "Got these horns on my
head /thought it was the devil but an angel instead/ I look closely through
your eyes/ see your soul it's my own demise /now I know I have to pay /
but
I never give and I won't today."
"Bad Gas" is a castigation against Hitler and his army of master murderers who corrupted with power and hate. "Your master race has fallen from grace/Where you lay I'll piss on that place/Power has it's price /power is what they see/ Your hatred is what you've sown/Now it's what you'll reap!"
"Follow
The Drip" is a rippling memory of being a victim of sexual abuse that haunts
and never seems to let go. "I was a child touched by your filthy
hands/death only smiles - I fight for a while/Oh my what we hide - secrets
of the past/ skeletons in the closets at last/have been exposed - dripping
echoes grow old /
flesh
rotted away - fist through the wall of shame."
Although Drip is not my preferred style of music, I have to give this band great credit for musically tackling subject matters that remain somewhat taboo in most circles. They appropriately demonstrate the punk angst on some songs that require that type of energy and are just as able to pull back for a more introspective guitar work. A good portion of this CD could be equated as a time capsule of the last few years that closed out the decade of the nineties. If you like your alternative music to have something worthy of more than a five minute playing, I would highly recommend this band for their sheer presence to create cross genre sounds with lyrics that reflect our most recent past.
Tracks:
1.
Bullwhipped
2.
President Scum
3.
She Male
4.
O.J
5.
Save My Soul
6.
Waste of Time
7.
Step Into the Light
8.
Make It
9.
Chronic
10.
Inside Out
11.
Circle Jerk
12.
Bad Gas
13.
Follow The Drip
Web
Site: www.followthedrip.com
Email:
drip@followthedrip.com
EYE
Politics
Can Be Fun
~reviewed
by Edwin Somnambulist
Formed in 1991 as a way of spreading propaganda and anti-propaganda messages, Eye combines the anti-government lyrical anger of punk with the sound of ebm/techno music. While their messages are aimed at Australians, they're done in such a way that they're not limited to that country.
The band's approach is like the title of this album states: fun. They use a lot of samples of political figures, and put them together in such a way as to make them sound completely incompetent.
"Mandate"