This newest EP from Blackcntr returns with a new vocalist, but still provides plenty of the same punchy industrial sounds. Worthwhile for those looking for some crunchy industrial sounds, with a little splash of different electronic flavors thrown in for good measure.
Category: Featured Reviews
13th Monkey – Return of the Monkey
This second official release from 13th Monkey is what you would most likely expect from a release on the Hands label – pounding, distorted rhythms with plenty of harsh noises thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, there is not a lot to differentiate “Return of the Monkey” from a large majority of other rhythmic noise albums.
Structural Fault – Intro/Version
The release showcases moody atmospheric instrumental pieces, but also brings in some very strong (and often distorted) beats and rhythms that are wonderfully engaging, easily grabbing attention. ‘Slightly dark IDM’ would be a more appropriate description of this music, rather than classifying this as a dark ambient release.
Stanislav Vdovin – Live for Food and Culture
In the absence of rhythm, Vdovin constructs long tones and drones, lighter than air, which float effortlessly and are, at the same moment, embedded with small clicks and blips, minute vibrations that anchor the gauzy fluctuations. At once attractive, minimal and melodic, “Live for Food and Culture” foreshadows more good things to come from this extraordinary artist.
Architect – Upload Select Remix
For “Upload Select Remix” Daniel Myer invited some friend projects to make a review of a track from the ravishing “Consume Adapt Create”. Definitely a remix CD appealing to those who already know the original release, or for those who haven’t discovered it yet and are in need of extra motivation.
Strange2 & Nev.era – Diario Sonoro
Spanning nine tracks and a respectable 45 minutes without ever leaving the listener feeling anything but captivated, “Diarion Sonoro” is a must-have album, one that has earned my utmost respect for both artists and which I feel obliged to heartily recommend to anyone with an interest in great electronic music.
Displacer – Night Gallery
While not so much a club affair, the album has excellent rhythm and pacing, making an exemplary urban soundtrack, yet managing to shine even further with the attention that a dedicated listening can provide. A truly magnificent piece of work, “Night Gallery” is one record that Displacer should be proud to call his own.
Improving Health
Anklebiter’s skills in creating good electronic music certainly seem to assist him in choosing fitting mixes for this collection, resulting in a record that feels almost organic in its continuity and flow, rather than a disjointed tracklist, a problem plaguing more than a few such collaborations.
Mana Erg – Idiosyncratic
While neither harsh nor particularly danceable, the album remains intriguing precisely because of its queer and, well, idiosyncratic nature, which clearly separates it from your average glitchy electronics. Definitely not as appealing to the mainstream a record as “The Blind Watchmaker”, it still works on its own merit as a more experimental expression of Bruno de Angelis’ work.
Synapscape – Traits
Following hot on the heels of 2009’s “Again”, “Traits” will not let any fans down at all, showcasing perfectly the German duo’s inimitable blend of complex rhythms and tense atmospheres. In addition to that fine contrast of distorted beats and clean synths we’ve come to know and love, there are of course a few new surprises to be enjoyed here.