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Android Lust - Resolution Tinman

It's not too often that we find female artists in this genre of musik. Shikhee of Android Lust is without a doubt one of few who can hold her own with the big boys of elektro. All of the programming and production on this album is done by her alone. The majority of these trax would fall into the catagory of dark elektro, but Android Lust also incorperate many atmospheric elements into the mix that create some very moody pieces. And damn, Shikhee has got one killer voice! Very emotional and moving. This disc also includes two remixes of the song "Heathen", both done by Oneroid Psychosis. Personally, i prefer the original over these mixes as they dont offer many new elements to the original. Had this cd been produced by either of the sexes, it really wouldn't make a difference. The music speaks for itself and in a good way. Resolution is an excellent debut from this promising new act. DisCorD

Android Lust Resolution Tinman

I think if I had to be someone else I’d want to be Shikhee. But who wouldn’t want to be the person who is responsible for some of the most shocking melodic and beautiful electronic dance music? And sexy. Shikhee’s breathy vocals laced over these dense electronic themes make ‘resolution’ one of the most enticing disks so far this year. It’s delicious and terrifying. This girl makes dance music like great artists paint: layer upon layer of gorgeously lush sounds with underlying infectious beats. Like a spider’s web, this disk is graceful and powerful, and every song is positively radiant. And if you think it can’t get any better than that, it does. There are three versions of the outstanding and devastating track “Heathen,” two of them remixed individually by Leif and Lars Hansen of Oneiroid Psychosis. melpomeneX

Beequeen - The Surrough Gate 10" Ant-Zen This record is Frans de Ward's (also of Staalplaat) debut with the Ant-Zen label and an excellent debut it is. Beequeen really get deep into the realm of experimental ambience. Three tracks, all being incredible soundscape's, its really hard to pick out a favorite. This 10" is packaged in a vertical fold heavy cardboard sleeve and cotains stickers/artwar by S.alt. Beequeen are definately worthy of checking out if you yearn for a warm and atmospheric sound. But like most releases on this label, it is limited, so hunt this one down and pick it up before its gone. DisCorD

Cleen - Designed Memories Zoth Ommog Cleen is a side project of Haujobb member Daniel Meier along with Thorsten Meier. In the likes of Haujobb, Cleen continues to expand musical boundries. If you liked Haujobb's "Solutions For a Small Planet" you will want to pick up this disc. Intelligent, original elektro integrating drum loops, hard edged kicks. Theses guys are just loaded with talent and far from a dissapointment by any means. This release contains 8 tracks in all. Supposedly a full length is in the works. Infernorek

Covenant - Final Man 21'st Circuitry Nothing too complex here. As a Covenant fan, this single hardly suffices my hunger for more. Catchy though, the two mixes of "Final Man", that is...but try to tell the difference! The space between tracks 1 and 2 seems only like a break in the same song. "Control" is yet another slow paced track, but seems to hold its own. Though its really nothing special, this is a very soothing track. Good sleeping musik! If "Control" put you to sleep, the last track, "Sample Start" will wake your ass up! Like noize? Personally I dont. This last track on Covenant's 4 track single simply leaves me wanting and thirsty for more... Ted Scheriff

Das Ich - Kindergott Facedown/Edel The first single off "Egodram", Kindergott breaks out with heavy danceable beats, aggressive synth lines and dense orchestrations that only Bruno Kramm can so brilliantly compose. In addition to the album version, this single also contains an extended mix and a slightly reconstructed and more minimal mix called the Kindergarten mix. As a bonus to this single, there is also a newly constructed version of the Das Ich classic, "Gottes Tod", now entitled "Gott is Tot (neitzche mix)". All I can say about this reworked song is WoW! This single is a must for all die hard Das Ich fans, like myself. If you can get past the import price on this single, pick it up! DisCorD

Das Ich - Egodram Facedown/Edel Egodram was originally hyped for release back in Spring of 97', so I've been anxiously awaiting this one for quite some time. Although I was beginning to grow a little impatient, the push backs were definitely worth the wait, as Egodram is without a doubt Das Ich's finest work to date. The one aspect that separates Egodram from their past works is that the majority of the new material is much more upbeat than anything they have ever done. Their most comparable work to this material would be "Dem Ich Den Traum" which is featured on "Das Innere Ich" and as a bonus track on the domestic release of "Staub" (originally released on the "stigma" ep, I believe...). While taking aim at the dancefloor with these killer beats, Das Ich retain their melodic structures through the brilliant orchestrations they've been known for in the past. Egodram also incorporates more quirky analog and noize samples than they have in the past and it certainly spices up the mix. As usual, Stefan is up front with some of the most intense Germanic vocals you will ever hear. To try to pick a standout track would do the others injustice, as most of these trax are potential singles. Bruno Kramm really took his time with this production and it shows. Call me premature, but it think Egodram has album of the year written all over it. Highly recommended! DisCorD

Die Form - Duality Metropolis Get out your whips and chains. Die Form is back with another fetish explosion. "Duality" has many ambient soundscapes mixed with melodic voices and relaxing beats. This long running Fetish act is a personal favorite. Not only do they produce good music, but they also have great packaging. Most every album comes with beautiful artwork and "Duality" is no exception. If you have the chance, you may even want to spend a few more dollars for the "Duality" box set, which includes some beautiful exclusive artwork. Fate:5

Dominion - Only the Strong Survive Metropolis You know, I really don't like to bash on bands, but it really is a wonder to me how trash like this get signed. The music itself sounds dates, the vocals are poorly mixed and repetative and there is no diversity between the songs. This cd is a tad gothy, extremely uninspired and down right boring. I'll leave you with that... DisCorD

Download - Charlies Family Subconcious/Nettwerk/Metropolis/Offbeat This cd was originally released in a limited quantity and was sold mostly at the shows back in 96'. It has recently been re-released in a sleek looking digipak. Although the material presented on this disc is not very new (94' - 95'), its sound is far from being dated. The material on this release is really incomparable to anything that cEvin has ever released. 90% of this cd is an aurally challenging onslaught of noize. But the brilliant thing about this cd, is that ll the different variables of noizes used in the construction of each track, are very well structured. Quite a few songs are even beat oriented with the chaotic noize a tad lower in the mix. This cd is, of course, a must for any die hard cEvin fans. But if anyone is interested in checking out something different and experimental, "Charlies Family" is highly recommended. DisCorD

Evils Toy - Illusion Eraser/Metropolis

The duo that are Evils Toy continue in the style of "XTC Implant" on their latest release, "Illusion". All together, it is a damn fine album. The only problem that I have with it is that its really nothing beyond the material on XTC Implant. Once again, we fined punchy beats, vocoded vocals and filtered synth lines that run wild. If your a big fan of XTC Implant, then you will probably love Illusion. If XTC Implant didn't quite do it for you, than its doubtful that Illusion will. One thing that Illusion has plenty of is potential club hits. In fact you may have already been infected by elektro floor stompers like "Lucifers Garden", "Illusion", and "Under the White Waves". After several releases with Hypnobeat/Hyperium in the past, Evils Toy are now signed to the newly formed Eraser records with distribution through Nova Tekk. Illusion will also be licensed by Metropolis (who else?) in the US. DisCorD

Float - Patience Eternity/Dion Fortune

Outstanding! I haven't heard a piece of work like this in years. Float is your above average synth-pop band. This album is very upbeat and leaves you feeling good after you listen to the whole cd. This cd is so good that it could have air time on the radio. Stefan Lindkwist and Tim Largson get five stars for this album. So if you ever come across "Patience" by Float, its highly recommended and should be picked up. Fate:5

Frontline Assembly - Columbian Necktie Metropolis/Offbeat After the depart of Rhys, I've been pretty intrigued to hear the new sound of FLA with Chris Peterson and Bill Leeb in command of things. After buying this, I flew home to pop this cd in the player in anticipation of hearing something fresh and new. After hearing the title track, "Columbian Necktie", I was kind of sketchy with my opinion. Thats when it happened... Midway through the third track, "Electrocution", there is a way too obvious Chemical Brothers break sampled over a Daft Punk tweak going on in the backround. At that point I had to stop the cd. I found nothing too original or interesting on this single. Just alot of re-cycled tekno loops. This effort fell way short of my expectations. Rhys! Come back! We need you! DisCorD

Gridlock - The Synthetic Form Pendragon This cd took a little time to grow on me, but when it did, I loved it. This debut release from Gridlock is all that its hyped up to be and more. "The Synthetic Form" is a beautifully crafted industrial soundtrack in its chaos and in its tranquility. Mike and Cadoo of Gridlock show some incredible programming on this cd. Most of the music that you hear on "The Synthetic Form" is composed of some very original sample based material. Gridlock have constructed a very moody and catchy masterpiece of a premiere cd. This music is very diverse and will certainly hold your attention. If you like dark atmospheric soundtrack work, or rough and chaotic dissonant structures, you will love this cd. DisCorD

Heavy Water Factory - Cries from Hell Metropolis/Energy Oh goody, here’s where I get to be a sexist pig. Jesse McClear. This guy is cute with a capital Q. And he writes all the songs, yes yes, does all the instrumentation, mixing, producing, and does it all brilliantly. And he’s so cute! Wait. Lemme go look at him again. *sigh*. Dreamy. Brooding. Baby, you know what I like, a bitter boy with gear, all dressed up in black. Oh, the music is good too. Cries From Hell is a remix CD of Author of Pain. Overall, I like the remixes better; they’re a little harder, noisier, beatier. I adore what has been done with the Maria Acevedo voiced track, Vampire. It sounds like a pop single, but a good one, a hard one, a meaningful one. It’s a totally different song form the track that appears on Author of Pain, this one you can sing along with. The previously unreleased tracks, Perception of Reality and Everyone’s in Heaven are so sweet--just good solid dance tracks Cries from Hell has a very commercial and accessible sound, but it's not at all compromised. It's good, it's clean, it can be pretty or angry or sad. There are so many notes here, not just that one note of anger that we hear in a lot of dance industrial. Despite all the electronics and noise, HWF has a very personal sound; it's like you're in a room having a conversation with Jesse. You know, late night, too many beers, masks come off and everything gets intensely real. Oh god. He did the design and typography too. Is it possible that he’s perfect? melponemeX

Index - Faith In Motion COP International The third album from Index, "Faith in Motion", is quite a step up from Eric Chamberlain's works of the past. Through the years, Eric has developed a style of dance music within the elektro genre that is very worthy of recognition. With intricate and precise programming, Index will captivate the listener with their brand of dense elektronik mayhem. On this cd, we find Index taking on a cover of Kraftwerk's "The Model" and he does a damn fine job with it. Originally, Eric had planned on a side project called Ne Plus Ultra, but he informs us in the liners that this project has been terminated. But fortunately for us, three of the trax that had been written for the project appear here on Faith in Motion. The great thing about this album is the diversity between the tracks. The material on this release ranges from dancey elektro to intelligent tekno to dark, ambient soundscapes. There is definately something on Faith In Motion for everyone. DisCorD

Komputer - The World of Tomorrow Mute Choc full of vintage synths, vocoders and 909's, Komputer really shine through on their debut release with their brand of Kraftwerk inspired teknopop. This release is fairly minimal for the most part with the focus being mainly on the purity of the individual elektronik sounds and the song structures. Many of the trax on this cd bear semblance to elektronik pioneers like Kraftwerk and The Human League. A very well produced retro sounding cd, Komputer are definitely worth checking out for their pure elektronik sound and minimal synth ethics. DisCorD

Mentallo and the Fixer False Prophets single Metropolis Many times when I throw on Mentallo and the Fixer I begin to remember all those bands I loved so well in the 80s: Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Magazine, Ultravox... It seems like as the rest of us go forward in time, M&TF go back. False Prophets has a definite mid-80s euro-dance feel to it. Unfortunately, parts of it remind me very much of Flock of Seagulls. Ever-so pretty and delicate moog is courtesy of John Bustamante (Fektion Fekler).This single includes two versions of Mother of Harlots with some very typical MTF riffs (one of these mixes is called "Tempo Crusher," but it must be all of 80bpm. Not exactly tempo-crushing by my standards. Spirit crusher more likely; I hate dirges). My favorite track is the surprisingly funky and decidedly non-retro instrumental, Deluge 2370 B.C.E, a beat-fest of hard drums and spiraling keyboard riffs. And you’ll all be glad to hear that every version of every song on this CD single is drastically different than the album versions. So while it may have taken M&TF forever to come out with Burnt Beyond Recognition and its affiliate CDs, at least they’ve worked very hard on them, remixing and reworking. I don’t know what all to say about this single thematically--I don’t believe in any coming apocalypse, either literally or metaphorically. Forgive me, but I’m a godless heathen who thinks the world is a beautiful place. I’ve mellowed quite a bit on this single since I first heard it. While I still think it’s too retro and really offers nothing new,, the sound is lush and full, the electronic effects are interesting, and the melodies are quite beautiful and downright stunning in some places. melpomeneX

Project Pitchfork - Alpha Omega Metropolis Yes, I know this cd is almost 3 years old now, but it was finally released domestically on Metropolis, so if you have been putting this one off because of import prices, there are no more excuses. Since the majority of you are probably already familiar with this, im not going to do an in depth review on it. I'll just say that many people saw Alpha Omega as a turning point for Project Pitchfork. Unfortunately, for the worse. As a follow up to the outstanding works of "Corps D'Amour" and "Io", Alpha Omega falls short of what one would come to expect in both lyrics and overall production. There are a few good songs on this disc, like "Silent Scream", "The Longing" and "Endzeit", but the majority of these trax sound as if they were written within the course of a day, and it shows. Alpha Omega is definately not a representation of just how good Project Pitchfork can be, but at least you can check it out at a lower price now here in the US. DisCorD

Pulse Legion - Evolve COP International "Evolve" is an excellent debut from this American elektro act. Pulse Legion combine the melodic textures of Mentallo & The Fixer with the mid-tempo beats of FLA on most of these finely crafted tracks. Expressive sequences, warm, lush strings and distorted vocals that very well compliment the musik are the key elements to these songs. Of all the crap coming out of the US, Pulse Legion are a strong exception and are very worthy of checking out. DisCorD

Seven Trees Embracing The Unknown Zoth Ommog/Metropolis I'm not the biggest fan of this sort of new-wave influenced, deep-voiced dance industrial. Alot of it reminds me of music from Suspiria. But I know that there are plenty of people who completely disagree with me, and if you know who you are, and I hope you do because if you don't you're in trouble, you probably ought to go out and get this Seven Trees disk because it will be right up your alley. Similar to the first haujobb disk whose name escapes me at the moment. None of it is too fast, which is why it seems very goth to me. melponomeX

Spahn Ranch - Retrofit Cleopatra Yet another remix EP following the full length released by Cleo. This time around, the band featured is Spahn Ranch. Retrofit is an EP featuring remixes of select trax from "Architecture". These remixes are performed by tekno acts Astralasia, Transmutator and LCD to name a few. There is even a remix by well known NYC DJ Bent, who has his way with "In the Aftermath". Overall, these mixes all fal into the styles of Drum'N'Bass, Trance and Jungle. Some of the mixes can get a little tedious at times, but all of them are very well done. DisCorD

Triana - The Color of Sound Tri Labs Who would ever think that NJ would have such a promising new band? Triana is your upbeat kind of synth poppy band that can really go places. The music is outstanding but the vocals need a little cleaning. But dont worry. Thats no reason not to check this CD out. Fate5

X Marks The Pedwalk - Drawback Zoth Ommog/Metropolis This album starts off with a capturing, yet smooth instrumental. Short, not quite to the point, but it makes a good intro to the following track. That track being "Maximum Pace". By the time XMTP's trademark filtered arpeggios kick in, I'm already on the dance floor! This song shows that XMTP's elektro progression is in continuance. Danceable-Emotional-POWERFUL! To help explain this track (in comparison to the rest of the album) I refer to the repetative lyric, "it's eratic and rash". The next track, "W.I.T.I.A.K" features the beautiful vocals of Estefania. Still XMTP's progression is evedent. A slow track, full of feeling and a capturing soundscape of repetition. There are several new tracks on this disc, including a few mixes and a 12 1/2 minute mix of older XMTP songs. I regret to say that somewhere after track 4, I'm either sleeping or putting on something more upbeat. Over all, this album is worth buying for any XMTP fan. An obvious progression from their last album (by this I dont mean better...). Though, if i havent already made it quite clear, this release is very repetative! Ted Scheriff

V/A - Ant-Hology BOX Ant-Zen God Damn, what a box set! Ant-Zen recently released the best box set I've seen in a long time. This box comes with a double CD featuring exclusive tracks and deleted vinyl in a metal box that weighs about 5 lbs, a booklet, t-shirt, stickers, postcards and finally, a metal Ant-Zen pin. Definately worth the 50 bux that you'll have to pay. The double cd consists of some of the best Power Elektroniks, Harsh Industrial Musik and Sinister Ambience that you will ever hear. Besides the more well known Ant-Zen acts like Noisex, PAL and Synapscape, there are many new signings and underground names that are included on these cd's. One in particular being ASP. Your mind will be blown away after hearing their track, "Hymn". This song has to have one of the best beats ever. It's harsh noize intro kicking into an aggressive dancefloor beat makes it one of the best tracks on the first cd. Also appearing on this cd is Sonar, another brilliant side project of Dirk Ivens. This track is a live recording and is filled with many harsh elements of noize. Not for the meak. The Immenent Starvation track has a very repetative but catchy beat with good sample integration. Another act, DKF, is not your ordinary band. With their extremely distorted sounds and noizy elektronik beats, their ear pinching sound put them far outside the norm (and this is NOT a bad thing). So basically, the first disc contains your noizey Power Elektronik material, while the second disc is composed of some very relaxing and evil ambient soundscapes. Bands like Stromlinie, Das Schreckenskobinett, Monblut and Contagous Orgasm will send shivers down your spine with their erie deatscapes. Italian ambient legends, Nightmare Lodge will put you in a trance with its very relaxing intro and peaceful minimal beat. Last, but certainly not least, you have Hybrids. This band has their own unique style of music that combines elektro and tribal beats along with death metal vocals. So as you can plainly see, this box is not one to recon with. Highly Recommended! FATE:5

V/A - Binary Application Extension Transmission 5 Culture Shock There really isn't too much to say about this other than BUY THIS NOW! Accompanying the magazine, this cd contains new and exclusive trax by some big names in the genre. This compilation includes FLA, Re/Act, VAC, Suicide Commando, Gridlock and Pain Konsept to name a few. 16 exclusive trax in all plus the magazine for under 10 bux! If you haven't already done so, its time to make a small investment. DisCorD

V/A Blackout: Electronic Bands Drain Long Island's Power Resources NOTA Don't be put off by the ridiculously long-winded title and the weird cover, if you like electro, you need this, especially since none of your silly little friends have heard most of these bands, and you know it's your mission to enlighten them. Some, like The Aggression's “Airlily” are firmly entrenched in old-school EBM, while others, like Blind's “21st Century Slave”mix in metal and electronica elements. Then some belong in the experimental (or to some, true industrial) genre, like Controlled Bleeding's“Poisoner Excerpt.” And then some get into the realm of the ultra freaky, like Deep Fried Clams, “The Life and Death of Chris Cage” (what do you want to call this, red-neck industrial?), and of course, the world reknown Dystopia One's touching, head-banging ode to actor, director, writer Steve Buscemi, “Steve Buscemi.” There's even "goth" oriented music, like F.I.L. (“Unpaid Bills”), and it's good! And then there's the stuff we all know and love, industrial dance, provided happily by Mindframe (“Makeshift”), Nefarius (“O.B.I.T.”), NeoCyberChrist (“Syntax”), Polymorph 3.1 (“psychOphySioloGicaLneurAlmasTerbationN”), Psycho Horror (“Expulsion”), Side 3 (”Afflictive”) (it's odd how all the industrial dance comes in this one big chunk towards the end, but lemme, tell ya, it's all good. Not a clinker in the bunch). Then there's some phunky stuph from VD, featuring Murder One called “Check Up From the Neck Up,” which I think completely destroys FatBoy Slim (with whom I am disappointed: all the songs start out good, but degenerate into bad disco). It all ends up with (vaginal) clensing ritual, “What Barbara Like Most About the Bahamas,” which begins with samples from a porn film over an ambient soundtrack and then becomes something even weirder. I think this disk is divinely inspired. I had no idea that there was so much talent on the island just to the east of me. I'm impressed. I'm humbled. Now go buy this damn thing before Dystopia One comes and kicks my ass. melpomeneX

V/A - BLACKOUT None of the Above Despite the rumors, NOTA is still alive and putting out the occasional release, with Blackout being the most recent. This compilation is a pretty good reprezentation of the activity within the NY scene. The bands featured on this comp are extremely diverse and cover a wide spectrum of styles. This cd has got it all, from the guitar driven Coldwave sounds of The Aggression to the elektro purism of NCC. A few standout trax would be by Deep Fried Clams as they offer us a tweaked out experimental song called "The Life & And Death of Chris Cage" and NCC as they give us a straight up elektro track ala XMTP/Evils Toy entitled "Syntax". Other acts worthy of mention on this comp are Polymorph 3.1, Mindframe, PsychoHorror, Side 3, and Dystopia 1. In conclusion, this NY comp has its share of good and bad, but its worth looking into for the better trax that are featured. DisCorD

V/A - Exoskeleton Possessive Blindfold Records This is the first in a series of compilations to be released by PBR and a strong debut it is. Exoskeleton features an outstanding lineup of both signed and unsigned artists including the likes of Dive, I, Parasite, Gridlock, Imperative Reaction, Noisex and Patchworks to name a few. If you are a fan of the Bravarian label Ant-Zen, you will definitely want to pick this up, as it features unreleased trax by Synapscape, PAL, Salt, Noisex and Immenent Starvation. Of these trax, the Noisex song entitled "No Fear" would probably stand out the most, as it is an extremely atmospheric song clocking in at almost 7 minutes. The Salt track entitled "Stolen Icons" is also worth mentioning, as brutal and disturbing as it is. But what more would you expect from the distorted mind behind all of Ant-Zen's artwar? If this comp proves anything, it is that there is a good amount of activity going on right here in the US worth looking into. A few of these bands include Pain Konsept, Ichor, Blink Twice, Holocaust Theory, and Patchworks, who in my opinion offer the best song on this cd called "Medicine". All in all, Exoskeleton is put together very well, offering artists old and new and is really worth looking into. DisCorD

V/A - The Glory of Destruction Catastrophe Records This comp is the first offering from the Seattle based Catastrophe records. Presented on this disc, is a wide variety of different bands of different styles. The cd kix off with a track by Alkaline (Scar Tissue side project) who give us a noisy yet atmospheric track called "Fazemast". This comp also features a track from New Minds side project called Tyrophex 14. Aside from a few of the bigger names on this compilation, like SMP and Noxious Emotion, there are quite a few unsigned bands who contributed to this cd, ranging from aggressive guitar driven styles to more elektronik and tekno oriented material. TGOD is very well put together as it gives us a wide variety of material. 15 trax in all, its a good intro to Catastrophe Records. Im looking forward to hearing more from some of these bands and this label in the future. DisCorD

V/A - Wellenreiter In Schwarz Credo/NovaTekk This double cd compilation features a ton of big names in German Elektro, Wave and Gothic musik. I could rave on and on about this comp, but instead, I'll just drop a few names of some of the artists who are included. Featured, are many new, exclusive and album trax from the likes of Lacrimosa, Das Ich, Dorsetshire, :Wumpscut:, Plastic Noise Experience, Terminal Choice, Sabotage QCQC, Calva Y Nada, E-Craft, ECO, PAL, And One, Beborn Beton and Second Decay to name a few. All of these tracks are performed in the artists navive Germanic language. Thirty songs, 2 cd's...you read the names. It shouldn't be too hard to make a decision on this one. DisCorD

Yasnaia - Onokoro 7" Ant-Zen Limited to 466 copies this 7" is their debut on the Ant-Zen label. This record is a twisted, spaced out soundscape of the unexplored terrain of the mind. Definitely interesting, to say the least. The packaging on the release is quite nice as the record is secured in a clear vinyl sleeve with a separate sheet of art (not by S.alt) inside. The record itself is a beautiful blue work of art. This is one act I'd like to hear more from. DisCorD