MOTOR!K - 4 (CD / Vinyl / Digital) (Out of Line) Motor!k's first album was a solid representation of the sound and modus operandi, being the Krautrock sound and the 4/4 drum beat known from Can and NEU! provided with a contemporary look,Motor!k 2 confirmed the intention of the trio….As said, the real change came with the EP Oddyssey and the album Motor!k 3, which made the undersigned look forward to the next move…On this 4th albumMotor!k goes a step further in exploring the possibilities.The material on Mk.3 seemed like a clear choice of variety on one album.Mk.4 changes it again by opting for 2 suites that relate to each other like brother and sister.In the first part we find the 3 parts of Terra Illustris, where the sound indeed sounds a bit lighter and more psychedelic.And as befits a good suite, the piece can preferably be listened to in one go, with minimal attention to the transitions. Terra Obscura sounds a bit darker and heavier-handed,whichmakes it a bit of the favourite half of this album.With this 4th album, the trio has once again proven that the bag of tricks is far from empty. [JD] 2ND FACE - utOpium (CD / Vinyl / Digital) (Dependent) “utOpium”, an album that turns out to be a dark and tantalizing dark electro trip but also an electronic and post-industrial dystopian nightmare. The Canadian old-school is never far away, you know, a multi-layered synth sound over a sometimes penetrating and then again jerking and jerking rhythm section with incantating to menacing vocals. Dark electro of the first generation, sharpened with industrial sounds of a rusted machine park that creaks, grinds and squeaks and is slowly but surely replaced by the dystopian intoxication of a virtual and splitting reality. Skinny Puppy, in its older guise, is never far off on songs like “1 Of The Others” ,“Underneath The Silence” or “Formula Extinction”. Or how humanity, in the delusion of the day in caged freedom, slowly crushes itself in front of a light box like a scaredy-cat.Melody is also there now and then,as if at a rare moment the music also makes you happy, you can take a dance step in the acceptance of the inevitable fate.“life(I)over” or “Vox Irea”? Will you dance or is it rather cold sweat. [KI] DER KLINKE - Facing Fate (CD / Vinyl / Digital) (Self-released) The opening song is of a kind that we don't often hear fromDer Klinke.Avery dark subdued and compelling song is based on Baudelaire's poem‘Recueillement’.Bombastic,bravura and big. Despite this restrained opening track, the band is heated up and so we get the firmly rocking, with a greasy post-punk edge, ‘The Shallow Shadows’. ‘Dance Of Liberty’ is a danceable New Wave/Dark Wave song. Chesko is using the lowest regions of his vocal chords while the synths take a prominent roll in this very nice uptempo song.With a grave voice and a minimal-feel synth line,‘Closing’gets going only to emerge into a banging song that invites you to move. ‘You're Looking Good In an Elevator’, pleasant tempo, fat basses, distorted guitars driven by a collection of pedals that pushes them forward… Conclusion: YES! This iFacing Fate became another very strong album, for an equally strong band. A well-oiled music machine, assisted vocally on this album by a number of guest voices. [JB] ENZO KREFT - Shelter (CD / Digital) (Self-released) “Shelter”, the new album is quite varied, but extremely catchy and a powerful commentary onwar,conflict and the human experience in times of crisis.Each song highlights an aspect of the devastating effects of war.But it also cries out that empathy, solidarity and hope are important in very uncertain times as well as the joining of forces to take action against that senseless violence. For instance the closing song literally indicates that we still have 100 seconds to make that change.The man carries electronicmusicmore than in his heart alone. But not only electro, guitars also have their say. On the opening track ‘Here Come The Birds Of Prey’,an instrumental,we immediately get all that beauty.Excruciatingly slow drums,a very deep synth melody and shoegaze guitar work that travels along with the rest of the instruments in a challenging way. This album is like an enforced concrete bunker. Apart from the rawness and pain that the lyrics exude,it is above all a high-qualitymusical piece of art. [JB] www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 32 - Read full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/
33 Publizr Home