Various artists – “DElecTROnIcT v3”

Various artists

Category: Compilations
Album: DElecTROnIcT v3

I used to think that Detroit was a town that had plenty of local talent, something my locale of Atlanta never has, and that it was the type of place where you could get behind the bands that came out of the scene.

Maybe I’m being a bit critical because I’m an industrial listener and much of this is very electronica-oriented. But I can’t help but think that much of this sucks. Sure, that’s generally the case with local bands. But, at the same time, I hoped that there would be some gems amongst the shit.

To try to point out the positive, Entluften’s “Broken Mold” isn’t quite up to snuff in some capacities of production, but manages to, nevertheless, be an enjoyable track. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to enjoy Venereal Injection’s lo-fi “S & M”, but I do in a way reminiscent to my love for the grit of Prick’s The Wreckard, only with more distortion. Silverchord manages to interest me, despite the fact that the track is nothing exceptional, but something about the track is soothing in a cold, dark way. Crash Site 68 offers a journeyman dance track of no particular import.

Verzerren’s 4 tracks might actually be the most interesting out of the CD. And they’re all 15 second-long noise tracks. In fact, I’d love to actually listen to a full CD of longer versions of this stuff… I hate experimental/noise music, but something about the sound structures that Verzerren manages are compelling. Sadly, they may be the most recommended thing on the whole CD, despite severe brevity and lack of real content.

In less-honorable mention, I would like to request 4FR, AprAxiA, and Doc Raymond to stop. Now. And please don’t start again. Mutual Hate Society needs to either change their name or make better music. I know CEOXiME has some talent, but this track doesn’t show it. Humachine provides something that isn’t quite up to par, but interesting in an experimental kind of way, which is echoed in The Morning Star’s track.

I should mention again that AprAxiA should stop. If you have any instruments, sell them. Give them to charity. Promise me this will never happen again.

In between those two extremes are some twitchy experimental tracks that didn’t really get me interested in either direction, which, in the end, isn’t that bad for them. Toybreaker seems interesting enough, but I’m not into that whole noise-y type thing. Voltage Controlled Ficus works in the same vain, but manages to be both shrill and annoying in the execution of its track. Digital Terror Netwerk does a fair job with quite a few loops that I have on my computer.

All in all, the compilation does offer quite a bit of variety, but much of it isn’t the kind of variety you would want. There are good moments in there, but nothing seems terribly cohesive. One doesn’t have to be a slave to a single tone or genre, but this is a bit too schizophrenic for my liking.

 

from ReGen Magazine (~4/2005)