Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030

My last few reviews have dealt with rather dark albums, so naturally I wanted to listen to something more light-hearted. Thus, my thoughts turned to Deltron 3030, a collection of futuristic hip-hop songs featuring Gorillaz collaborators Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Dan The Automator, and noted turntablist Koala The Kid, as well as a handful of other producers and lyricists (such as Prince Paul, founder of the hip-hop skit) making short guest appearences. Deltron 3030 is a concept album focusing on the exploits of Deltron Zero and his crewmates in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has finally been forced off planet Earth into the impersonal chill of outer space. As expected, outer space is far from a perfect place, as society has become corrupted through increased government oppression, but unlike other futuristic-aimed albums (Bigg Jus' "Poor People's Day" album comes to mind), the tone is often optimsitic (or at the very least humorously cynical).

The overall production of the album is meticulous, with techno elements usually prominent, along with a grab-bag of sci-fi sound FX, several spoken word clips, and many different turntablist elements (including a few instances of Del's older albums being scratched). In keeping with the futuristic theme, Del raps are almost entirely composed of very complex clusters of futuristic references, often taking the form of elaborate stories (in "Battle Song", detailing an actual battle fought in outer space). Lyrically, they serve well in setting the mood, as long as you do not mind the fact that 90% of them are probably tongue-in-cheek.

While a few songs ("Virus", "Upgrade") explicitly focus on technological aspects, the majority of the songs explore the various aspects encountered living in the year 3030. The song "3030" serves as a good introduction to the basis of the album, illustrating the exploits of Deltron and evading the police whilst confounding the general populace. "Time Keeps On Slipping" is (as Del himself states) incredibly funky with a groovy bass and hi-hat bed (as well as making the connection between them and Gorillaz instantly clear). Meanwhile, "Turbulence" tells a brooding tale of mutant rats, corrupt politicians, tracking chips, and floating educational facilities and "Love Song" is a humorous story of Deltron's fortunes finally reversing for the better ("Yo...I just won 10 grand in the Galactic Rhyme Federation championship, so I'm laughing a bit").

A notable exception to this trend is the song "Madness", in which Del laments the deplorable situation of music in the year 3030, even though many of the situations he describes are sadly true in the present. A good summary of his feelings can be found in this verse:

"I must appeal to you people with your faculties
Cuz everybody else is gonna laugh at me
People try to get over and take a crack at me
The universe is one and I can see what rap can be glorious
Put in the Smithsonium my podiums for holy hymns
But you see whos controlling them
F**k myself off cuz of the egotistical mode I'm in
No I can't slap you no five"

This and the verses that follow paint an incredibly melancholic experience, even though it is quite emotional as well. These are also broken up by the sung chorus "I'm caught in the grip of the city...madness", an apt description of the feel presented by the song.

This is far from a perfect record, and the main reason for this is in the prevalence of smaller "skit" tracks present in the album: nine of the twenty one tracks are under a minute in length and are largely unneccesary when considering the album as a whole. Also, while Del's delivery is (as usual) quite good, his lyrics are almost purposefully over-technical and obtuse on occasion.

Despite this, Deltron 3030 is a high-spirited glimpse into a possible future of hip-hop and the planet, galaxies removed from the cliches and staples that currently oversaturate the hip-hop/rap genres. Currently, there are rumours that a second Deltron 3030 album is in the works (from statements made by Kid Koala). Awesome, but next time, let's leave the skits at home, and let the music fully speak for itself.

---

Official page
Kid Koala
Wikipedia Entry
Dan The Automator

In Slaughter Natives - Enter Now The World

It seems fair to say that Roger Karmanik's Cold Meat release schedule has been somewhat uninspired as of late. Perhaps it is the usually unconvincing 'apocalyptic folk' albums being promoted or perhaps it is the inclusion of their mail-order service, which frequently promotes albums which are more compelling than their own, particularly from the smaller/independent labels.
Nevertheless, there is one bright star shining in the Cold Meat label, and that is In Slaughter Natives, one of the original bands to be signed to the label in the late 80's.

In Slaughter Natives is one of the originator's of the so-called 'symphonic industrial' genre. While many stylistic elements of this release can be found on their self-titled debut, "Enter Now The World" expands where I.S.N. began, adding many of the 'symphonic' elements which the band would become famous for. One of the most notable differences is that the more overtly 'industrial' elements of the previous album, such as the 'almost funky' beat on the "Napalm Death" song or the grinding metallic atmospherics of "Dusk Of Hope" (which sounds strangely similar to Decree's second album) are phased out in favor of organic components. However, the gritty drumbeats are largely unchanged from the previous album, although there is quite a bit of variation within the album.

The album wastes no time getting down to business, starting with the track "Sacred Worms". In similar fashion to the previous album (and industrial music in general), various samples are scattered throughout many of the songs. "Sacred Worms" quickly progresses into an ominous piece of synthetic horn blasts (the closest approximation I can use regarding the prominent synth), looming synth strings, a soaring set of male vocalisations, along with several chilling screams and vocal samples (an anguished individual screaming "Get him off of me, goddammit!").

"Give me your flesh". This command, spoken by what can safely be assumed to be a demon, starts the next track, the excellent "To Mega Therion". Beginning with the omnipresent drums and marimbas, the instrumentation suddenly backs away to reveal a hazy ambient break, with a strange pitch-shifting screeching sound piercing through choir-like hums. Textually, it is hard to explain what makes this section so compelling, yet it one of those moments which can easily produce an emotional response from the listener, even if they are not immediately aware of the emotion being produced (they nonetheless know instinctively that it has occur ed). This is also the first track that features Jouni Havukainen's vocals, which typically feature a rasped whisper which tends to be in the epicenter of the mix. Whispers and screams are also at times present within the song, making for a rather dense song structure (in a good way, as it is a compliment on Havukainen's skill in production). The song also ends with an extended version of the break earlier in the song, with the oddly compelling screech fading into the background. Easily one of the best songs on the album.

"Beauty And Bleeding" takes a detour from the pounding industrial. Droning bells dominate, evoking images of fog-laden European streets in the middle of the night. Soon, bass hums, drum hits, church bells, descending synths, metallic shimmers, and horns become enmeshed into the mix, further evoking the sensation of wading through murky surroundings.

Continuing the trend of dark ambience (at least for a short period), "Angel Meat" begins with several hard-to-describe high-pitched whines and whistles before a steady drum beat, church bells, and vocalisations are added. Halfway through the song, the tone takes an interesting turn as the high-pitched noises are re-introduced, along with several sampled screams and a few unintelligible spoken sections.

The next song is more of a 'traditional' industrial song, with metallic clangs and hits providing the backdrop for a horn line, operatic female vocals, stabbing string hits, it quickly intensifies as a foreboding synthetic string line is introduced alongside the horn. Also, as is the case for many of this album's song titles, "Skin Sore Eyes (Final Structure)" is a slightly silly name to use for a song. The only complaint I would point out is that, during the song, there is an annoying set of ascending noises present throughout the song. It's hard to describe them in sufficient detail, except for the fact that they are rather annoying.

"Transcendental Carnation" stands out because of it's various Eastern influences weaved into the song (mainly in the 'mostly' organic percussive elements, shimmering bells, and the sitar which features prominently).

"Saducismus Triumphatus", alongside "To Mega Therion", is one of the best tracks of the album (as well as, arguably, being the most 'hellish', for those who are keeping track or bother to care). Bells, distorted vocal samples, low-pitch singing, and unidentifiable noises echo endlessly over the prominent synth melody, itself a repeated motif only a few seconds long.

"Total Decay" features a strange hum (perhaps an electronic vacuum-cleaner or lawn mower of some sort) as well as an almost-danceable beat (similar to "Napalm Death"). A melody is also introduced halfway through the song, even though it takes some concentration to aurally observe it (due to the rather unconventional nature of the synths being used and the fact that the sounds themselves are undergoing various alterations even though the melody itself is not). Unfortunately, this song, while being one of the most 'active' songs on the album, also arguably has less variation within it than some of the other songs.

Similar to "Beauty And Bleeding", "Human Ashes" is a short instrumental featuring a consistent drum beat, male vocals (ala those found in the Goldeneye movie), whispers, choirs, and low-end unintelligible samples. It also features the same note progression as that found in the beginning and the ends of "To Mega Therion".

Finally, "Temple Of Flesh And Metal" ends the album as a dark ambient piece, with various clanking noises reverberating throughout. While it is a good song, it unfortunately ends the album in a very anti-climatic way.

In general, "Enter Now The World" is a solid album from In Slaughter Natives, which expands upon the vision set forth in their debut album, with the addition of various symphonic elements to augment the electronic bedrock of the sounds. While there will be infinite debate as to what the 'soundtrack to hell' will be composed of (as well as separate arguments arguing over whether such an argument is even necessary), "Enter Now The World" is as good a candidate as any. Recommended.

---

In Slaughter Natives
Cold Meat Industries

Statement Of Intent

This blog was created for the purpose of reviewing truly unique music groups, with a special emphasis towards independent groups and smaller labels, as well as rare albums and unusual sonic tastes. Most of the material here is still in print (or recently released), so if what you read intrigues and/or interests you, please support the groups by purchasing their work. In addition, the reviews will also include resources for additional information when possible. Finally, this blog also directs your attention to the right of the screen, where a guide to many excellent music blogs (of diverse natures and functions), record labels, and artists' websites can be found.
---
Please note that this blog does not post links to full-album downloads. While it is a commonplace occurance in the music blog world, it ultimately hurts the respective music artists. There are many, many other blogs where you can find downloads if you choose to do so (although they will rarely review and/or promote the bands in question). Instead, as stated above, information is usually given on how to obtain the album (or links to history/info/availability if the work is out of print).
---
Bands and/or record labels: If you feel that what is reviewed on this site is similar to the work you create/promote and/or believe it is similar to what your listeners enjoy, feel free to send a request for me to review something. Although I cannot commit to an iron-clad gurantee that I will ultimately create a review, I will at least check out your material and/or listen to the album in question. However, if you do email me, and you respond to the effect of "I'll get back to you...", please do so! While that may sound odd, I have already recieved two requests by start-up record labels (several months ago) to check out their work, and the individuals never returned my email requesting for more information! It's difficult to review entities you have no concrete information about!
---
Because I do not offer/provide downloads to full-length albums, my viewer traffic is understandably lighter than it might be otherwise. However, interest does peak every now and again (depending on what I am reviewing at the time). Currently, my writing is at a slow peak for various reasons, but I will soon be back to writing again, including finishing up some half-created reviews and several new reviews I have been wanting to write for a while.
Thank you for your continued patience and support.

- Chandler N.

Nature & Organisation : A Dozen Summers Against The World

Nature & Organisation : A Dozen Summers Against The World


A short EP, mainly featuring three stand-out tracks from their full-length ("Beauty Reaps The Blood Of Solitude") and the extended title track, "A Dozen Summers..." is an excellent summary of the musical genius of Michael Cashmore. The "Wicker Man Song" starts this EP on a high note, featuring a delicate folk-tinged composition, aided by Rose McDowell on vocals, and a variety of orchestral insturmentation to assist the several guitar and mandolin melodies simultaneously intertwining throughout the mix (including flute, cello, and bassoon). "Blood Of Solitude I" and "II" are two short interludes, featuring a sad violin solo, accompanied by cello and bassoon. Both are relatively similar, except where the first song gives off a somber vibe, the second is decidedly more melancholic (admittedly these are very subtle differences, yet they do exist). Finally, we arrive at the epic title track: the eleven-minute "A Dozen Winters Of Loneliness". Featuring a repeated vocal motif ("loneliness") spoken by an female speaker identified only as "Oriental girl" (somehow managing to be sublimely creepy and moving at the same time) and spoken lyrics by David Tibet, Michael Cashmore plays the rest of the insturments on the song, ranging from acoustic/electric guitars, keyboards, tubular bells, and glockenspiel. The song continues to expand majestically for about seven minutes, until only the repeated vocal returns, at which a jarring cacaphony of highly distorted guitar and drum soloing crashes into the forefront, continuing for five minutes before finally fading back to give the final line: "A dozen Winters of Loneliness, and the dozen summers against the world".
Although only nineteen minutes long, the four songs here exhibit an unnaturally high degree of musical beauty, and listening to this makes it quickly clear the high degree of influence Cashmore has had on David Tibet's Current 93 project since being introduced as a collaborator. This EP (along with the LP "Beauty Reaps The Blood Of Solitude") are both highly reccomended works of "orchestral neo-folk".


http://www.durtro.com/
http://www.myspace.com/natureandorganisation
http://www.myspace.com/michaelcashmore
http://www.michaelcashmore.com

Brighter Death Now : Kamikaze Kabaret

"Aren't you feeling well, Bill? Aren't you hungry? What can be the matter? After supper, it's fun to play a while before bed. But there's still something wrong, isn't there, Bill. There it is again...poor Bill? What now? We'll soon know, because here comes mother..."
Spoken by a lethargic-paced middle-aged man who sounds like he was ripped straight from the 1950s, the album quickly gets down to the matter at hand: industrial power noise. Much like his previous albums, Kamikaze Kabaret consists solely of monotonous, grinding industrial pulsations. Every song has some sort of shouted vocals as well, either distorted beyond clear recognition (a trademark of his earlier records) or chanted/shouted/screamed ad infinitum. Occasionaly, various vocal samples (the majority of which seem to do with the home or family) are thrown in to further the strange effect this album has on the listener. Other elements are at seemingly random points on the songs introduced, but they are quickly subsumed into the main theme of the moment. Unfortunatly, as is observable in many of Brighter Death Now's other albums (with a very few notable exceptions, mainly Necrose Evangelicum and May All Be Dead), not much readily stands out in comparison to the rest of the album and most of the "songs" go on for far longer than they probably should. Speaking of songs, this album will only further obscure whether or not these works can be called "songs" (as well as complicate exactly what constitutes a "song"). Notable songs include "Big Happy Family", a subdued (in comparison to the rest of the album) electrical bass hum pulsates as a phased vocal tells an extended tale of family dissolution and domestic disturbance (almost reminiscent of "Slug Bait", by Throbbing Gristle, in that regard) and "Take Me Away", a strange tale of psychadelic drug use recounted through pounding industrial thuds, whistles, screeches, and clamor.
Overall, it is a relatively decent industrial/power electronic/noise release. However, it is very difficult to maintain interest enough in listening to it all the way through in one setting. Not because Brighter Death Now is "one of the most extreme industrial noise acts on the scene" (a doubtful and dubious distinction at best), because their not, but because the monotony quickly fades from ritualistic to just plain boring. Some of the songs, such as "Destroy" (with it's only lyrics being "We Destroy You!") and "Big Happy Family" are interesting in the fact that you need to be in a certain mood to listen to them, the majority of the songs have very little to keep the listener engaged.
In the end, Roger Karmanik proves that Brighter Death Now has very little to offer fans of industrial music which other bands can easily provide, often with much greater originality and quality. His earlier albums, highly regarded within certain circles, are fading further and further into the distance...


http://www.coldmeat.se

Lustmord : The Place Where The Black Stars Hang

The last of the Lustmord series reviews the seminal "The Place Where The Black Stars Hang" album.


This album, in short, is the definitive masterpiece, of Lustmord's career. Without a doubt. While this may be a bold statement, given the very high quality of the majority of Brian William's work (as well as the many notable artists and musicians he has influenced over his career), "Where The Black Stars Hang" has many facets to it which propel it higher than his previous work. It is amazing to believe that this album arrived a mere two years after "This Monstrous Soul". While that particular album was good, it was created specifically in order to create a pre-determined mood, thus repetition and consistency were noticeably present throughout the album (to both positive and negative effect). "The Black Stars...", on the other hand, is a work of incredible dense complexity, almost three-dimensional in nature. No longer content to create auditory scenes of subterranean hells or horror-filled alleyways, "The Black Stars..." is a masterpiece of synthetic soundscapes which vividly portray the cold void of space. It is difficult to describe the sounds which inhabit this album, as there are very few points of reference available. On occasion, more earthly sounds, such as extended human-esque vocal notes can be heard, but they (paradoxically) only further serve the alienating quality of the music (most notable on the track "Metastatic Resonance"). Another amazing feat the album manages is that, taken together, the album is a single 75 minute song, with many different movements and moods (though many of the themes overlap and reappear in various permutations over time). Basically, if you are in any way shape or form interested in electronica, dark ambient, and/or experimental music, this is a MUST OWN CD. It truly is a landmark in the genre, which has yet to be imitated or surpassed.


NOTE: This review covers the 1994 edition, and not the 2006 version, which was heavily remastered.


http://www.lustmord.com
http://www.soleilmoon.com/

Lustmord : Lustmordekay

For those of you fortunate enough to own and/or have heard this set of recordings, you already know that this is very different from the massive body of work which Brian Williams would later make himself famous with. Among the first recordings he ever released, "Lustmordekay" is a collection of early live tracks (some of which, most notably "Murderwrecker", can be found, albeit in edited versions, on the "A Document Of Early Acoustic & Tactical Experimentation"). Here, however, the highly experimental noise which would later be termed as "proto-industrial" (alongside such artists as Throbbing Gristle, Current 93, Clock DVA, etc) reign supreme. Also of interest is that the album begins with a short organ insturmental (and a relatively fast-paced one at that)!!! The second track is a collection of strange rumbling, interspersed with church bells, highly distorted voices (ala Throbbing Gristle) and short high-pitched whistles. The third track introduces echoing static, pulsing bass hums, and high-pitched whines, along with strange choir samples (I almost want to say they are holiday-themed of some sort, but I am not sure). While difficult to summarize, it definitely reeks of alien vibes. The fourth track begins with a rather creepy and garbled synth line interspersed with a music box...that is, if you can imagine this music box being stabbed and burnt whilst it is playing. This is one of the few disappointments of the album, as it continues with little change for seven minutes, until it finally gives up the ghost. Track five features a menacing electrical hum, with strange metallic bowing sounds. It soon leads to a maddening thud which continues for the next four minutes. This, strangely enough, sounds similar to what any number of electronic devices would sound if they were broken (like a paper jam, for example). Track six kicks it up a notch, with distorted metallic clanging, shouting and screaming of a (presumably) improvisational nature. Track seven (the longest track in the set) is one of the best, featuring creepy children's song samples, church bells, bass hums, various choirs, chanting, distorted synthesizer waves, ultimately reaching an apocalyptic creschendo, very similar in nature to the earliest of Current 93's albums (especially "The Mystical Body Of Christ In Chorozaim" and various tracks from "Nature Unveiled"). Track eight is a fascinating piece of industrial rhythm (which would later be placed on the "Document..." LP), interspersed with more distorted vocals, similar to those in the second track.


Highly confrontational, difficult to catagorize, and totally unique, this is a fascinating work which makes clear Brian Williams beginning associations with SPK and Nigel Ayers as well as provide tantalizing glimpses into what his work would eventually evolve into. Unfortunatly, this work is (and has been) out of print for over twenty years, so good luck in finding a physical copy for a decent price anywhere (even the creator of the album admits not being able to locate a copy for over twenty years).

Lustmord : This Monstrous Soul

Lustmord : This Monstrous Soul


Ixaxxaar: There are claims that this is Lustmord’s most minimal record. While such claims are arguable, it is much harder to argue that this track is not one of Lustmord’s more straight-forward and (yes) minimalist compositions. Consisting mainly of a looped sample from a 1950’s horror movie (ironically enough, called “Night Of The Demon”) hovering over synthetic winds and synths, it continues for roughly five minutes as the sample is repeated every 4-6 seconds. It will definitely test your patience as repetition, as the sample continues unabated or changed as the piece slowly progresses. It is difficult to concretely say whether the sample is being used as a mantra or (probably Lustmord’s preference) as an invocation. Thankfully, however, the song is much shorter than the usual Lustmord song, this is because it mainly serves as an introduction to…


Primordial Atom:
This song spans half of the album at an impressive twenty-five minutes. Thankfully, it is much better than the previous track. Opening with creaking noises very much reminiscent of ambiences found on Lustmord’s previous album “Heresy”, Primordial Atom soon gets underway in a dramatic fashion, as a repeating drone (I would compare it to an ultra-low ritual horn) and percussion somberly alternate with each other. Subtle synthetic waves slowly arise from the depths of the mix, as occasional vocal samples (probably from the same movie) appear every now and again, concerning themselves with the nature of mankind and the devil, psychology, and the nature of reality, among other things. “Where does imagination end and reality begin?”. Roughly a fifth of the way into the song, various industrial scraping sounds begin to appear at sporadic intervals. This track also introduces one of the main aspects of the album, both positive and negative: that while the music is quite striking, it is the well-placed samples which elevates the music from merely excellent to incredible. It also clearly demonstrates the other noticeable auditory fact about the album: that this music portrays his skill into film score composing very well. Is this song overly indulgent? Perhaps. Yet indulgence is rarely this good by any group, and rarely as hypnotically powerful. After what seems like an eternity, we finally arrive at the…


Protoplasmic Reversion:
Beginning with a strange chant and clanking noises, a very low bass drone is brought in a minute later, followed by more “Heresy-era” whooshes (for lack of a better term). A lonely string sequence suddenly intrudes three minutes into the song, increasing the unsettling nature of the song.
Finally, everything fades back except for the cinematic strings and strangely unidentifiable names. Ultimately, the song ends with several dramatic movie samples: “It’s there! I see it, in the trees! The smoke and the fire…my time allowed is almost over! THEN THE DEMON TOOK HIM!!! NOT ME!!! NOT ME!!! THE DEMON!!! IT’S COMING!!! NO!!!”. An anguished scream from the speaker finishes this piece, bringing us to the front of…


The Daathian Doorway: A nod to Lustmord’s proto-industrial beginnings, The Daathian Doorway abruptly changes the pace of the album, presenting a clanging rhythm, reminiscent of clanking chains and rumbling engines. This theme remains relatively constant throughout, as if it were what you would hear observing the condemned in Hell (whether it be the hell of war, servitude, boredom, etc). Various industrial hisses and groans sweep through the mix, further enhancing the perception of rumbling machinery and effluent exhaust. Towards the end of the song, sounds akin to waves can be heard. Now imagine you are on a boat. You look down, and in the murk of your tiny little boat, you reach into the stagnant waters and pick up…


The Fourth And Final Key: Beginning with desolate synthetic percussive stabs (which can be comparable to lightning) and metallic sounding sweeps, lamenting choirs soon join the fray. Strange organic rumbling noises creep in as the drones become more pronounced. A strangely muted drum beat and gong appears halfway through the song, accompanied by a barely identifiable conversation slowed down to the degree of incomprehensibility. The whole song is ended by several gong hits.


---


Overall, this is agreeably not Lustmord’s best work. However, that should not discourage anyone from listening to it, as Lustmord’s less impressive work tends to rank much higher than the average dark ambient band’s best accomplishment. For a darkly enjoyable experience (as well as for a chance to listen to material unique within Lustmord’s canon), The Monstrous Soul is an excellent choice.


It is the night of the demon…


---


http://www.lustmord.com
http://www.soleilmoon.com/