music review:

Various"Futronik Structures Vol. 2 - cyber elecktro compilation"

electronic - industrial

The main focus of this compilation is heavy four to the floor robotic aggro cyber-electro-body-music with a few synthpop-type groups towards the end of the CD.

Implant - "brainstorm" This a good track to start the CD with in regards to the piece of dialogue used. Unfortunately, I've heard this bit of dialogue used before - on Code's "area 51" I think. Even though it's used well here, having heard dialogue used somewhere else detracts from the freshness of a track for me. The music's a hypnotic trance-elektro piece with husky electroid vocals. Quite distinctive and funky.

Idiot stare - "the devil's work" This track starts of well for me, with a cold kick drum beat, grungy guitar-chords which don't dominate and husky-chanting vocals. Unfortunately, the lyrics in the chorus just don't quite work for me. I think the track would work much better without the chorus.

Biopsy - "disgust" These Brazilians make a topsy-turvy original blend of 303 squelches, industrial-trip-hop beats, splattering hi-hats, bleeps, minimal rah-rah vocals and effective stereo effects. I can't make out any of the lyrics - but for me that's usually a good thing. This track has a raw, clunking and distinctive sound - my favourite on the CD.

SMP - "Intensity(cold mix)" This is certainly a much better track than their piece on the Cleopatra "...Northwest..." compilation. A mid-tempo groover that reminds me of a song called "Illusion" by Cyberaxis. I dig the cheesey brass-bits.

Ionic Vision - "Corruption President" There should be some law about Belgium bands singing in English. Front 242 have certainly been known to come up with some quite unintentionaly humorous lyrics. Ionic Vision have done something similar here. I think it's due to the track having a political message and that someone whose native tongue was English wouldn't quite do it in the fashion that Belgiums do it. I don't know why so many European bands choose to sing in English. I prefer their music MUCH more when sung in their native tongue. Anway, Ionic Vision's track is pretty good though, pure electro-body-music ala Front 242 mid-1980s but with a heavier more deranged vocal style.

Violet Black Orchid - "Silence" Grating ethereal electro-noise-flange from these Canadians. The vocals are fairly subdued in the mix which works well.

Produkt13 - "Burning Sin" A fine eleckro-industrial piece with clanging bells, whispery vocals and synth-strings but not terribly distinctive.

diverje - "System Failed (edit)" Starts with an atmospheric intro that brings some relief from the rest of the elecktro-assault on this CD. Ah, but just when you think you can relax, in comes the beat rapid-fire-synth-bass, meat-grinder guitars and distortion vocals.

Produkt13 - "Lousy Human". This reminds quite a lot of early Skinny Puppy. Similar voice to Nivek Ogre's.

Noxious Emotion - "Neural Surge (v.20) An exclusive remix of the track from "count zero"; a fairly mellow but stomping electronic body music piece.

Bytet - "Modern Ritual" Another quirky piece of avant garde theatrical electronics with female vocals here. They've quite a unique refreshing sound. Reminds me of Laurie Anderson and Yello. I'd like to hear more.

Side 3 - "Solemn" Four to the floor techno beat with gruff cookie monster industrialish vocals.

Kremaster - "So Close" 1980s-inspired electronic body music from Brasil. Reminds me of early Noise Unit and Front Line Assembly. Good to hear this kind of music from South America.

I, Parasite - "Criminail" Contemporary-type slow elektro with gothicish sequences and husky vocals. Reminds me of groups such as Cyberaxis and Haujobb.

FearVLoathinc. - "Two Steps (forward)" Wow! A New Zealand elektro band - about time! The music aspect reminds me of early-to-mid period Nitzer Ebb. - ie. looping keyboard parts with bits gradually added and stripped. Husky vocals and some breakbeats introduced towards the end of the track. I suspect the hard to remember & pronounce band-name could work against them.

The Man - "Give me Your Youth" A very Depeche Modish new romantic track for the teenage America crowd. (Which, thank all the gods up in the sky, I'm not a part of). Not that I'm knocking the track, this IS good for it's style. I just can't relate to it. And I'm certainly pretty glad for that.

Con - "Kill Yerself" This track contains some catchy oriental root-and-5th note chord samples and effective matching coy vocals. However, the track is (at first) completely ruined by the mega-cheesey chorus vocal line "kill yerself tomorrow - why wait for today?" sung in a bad american rock voice. Just when you think they're being serious - that they honestly think those are "clever and zany" lyrics - and their credibility is in serious doubt (in my mind) the pitch-shifted chipmunk vocal effects appear and lend an air of complete tongue-in-cheek silliness to the whole song. I HOPE that was the intention. Hard to know. I expect a lot of (most) people won't get the joke though! Particularly humourless gothic-types. I quite like this track, from a listening perspective, it has some new and distinctive things going on - but the chorus refrain makes me cringe every time. But wow - it made me write this much about it!

X on the mind - "Psychal Storms" A nice instrumental elektro piece that reminds me of "Doubting Thomas".

$12 US from:

DSBP Records. 237 CAGUA NE, albuquerque, N.M., 87108 USA.

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