music reviews

::: Compressed Infinity ::: "random extraction"

electro-industrial-gothic

Good to see, or should i say, hear, more australian industrial projects. To compare with other bands, C.I. reminds me the most of Decree, Society Burning and Nine Inch Nails though without the heavy metal guitar aspects. The bleak and despairing music consists of expressive pounding brutal percussion beats that vary a lot, which is something I really like, with distorted and soaring synthesisers, and distorted vocals. The lyrics are very bleak, about the human condition, love gone wrong and personal issues which also compares with N.I.N. If I was producing this, I'd opt for a slightly different effect & E.Q. mix on the vocals. But that's just my taste. Another thing that comes to mind is what some people have said about EYE in the past, and I've become very conscious of in all music, which is to have less vocals so as to let the music breathe through and shine in all it's glory. That's certainly a challenge when you've got something to say though! So you won't be surprised if I say two of my favourite C.I. pieces are the 2 instrumentals "Fields of stars" and the title track.

However, my overall favourite is "Silent Image". For along with C.I.'s encapsulating pounding percussion and walls of lushly distorted synths, it features a great vocal chorus hook that grabs one like a yearning "epic", if you know what I mean. 12 tracks over 59 minutes.

Available for $16 (aust.) or if overseas, an international money order to the equivalent of $21 Aust. payable to: Raymond Yee, PO Box 1102, Baulkham Hills, NSW 1755, Australia. Web: www.redline.net.au/compressed_infinity/ E-mail: [email protected]