Industrial music reviews

I have been to two concerts with this amazing band and what they lack in as far as vocal ability they make up with their sheer energy. The same is true for their recorded music. which has nice sounds, good lyrics and weak vocals. Germananic is a great song that was an old song that they updated with the fall of the wall and the neighbors of Germany getting antsy what would happen with a reunited Germany. There are so many strong tracks on this album, machineries of joy, gladiators, germaniac and many others. They might not sound like great vocalists but they make this up with their sheer will and love for making music.

This is the quintessential Die Krupps! No other CD defines the group as well as this one does. I will admit that their music loses something in the translation to English (it soars in German), but even if you don't understand German, the sound speaks for itself. If you could only have one Die Krupps CD - this should be the one. Germaniac is especially powerful.

This is electro done right. Unlike other Cleopatra bands which are so much noise, Brain Leisure's Mindfire instantly catches you, commands your full attention, and puts you in the groove. Every time I play this album, people ask me who this is and where can they obtain a copy. The music is pure electro synth with some Terminator samples thrown in here and there. I love it and it is difficult to describe this disk. "Teknology" will be the first song that hooks you. Mindfire is not a rough ride with erractic beats, unintelligible vocals, guitars, or full of samples from other artists. Brain Leisure is like Kraftwerk with a power bomb beat and rat vocals. Enjoy.

This import disc contains the most utterly impressive body of electronic work I have yet to hear: "DSM01-04." Although the remixes of "Gripped by Fear" are formidable pieces in themselves alone, the "DSMxx" tracks are truly incredible. Along with the ubiquitous electronic crunch of the Euro-Industrial sound of this time, Front 242 crafts a series of unparalleled sonic landscapes, some of the most uniquely generated electronic sound around. This is truly a recording that was intended purely for intense listening; playing this record as background music (or as accompaniment, such as when you're lonely) is basically impossible. You will be immediately drawn into this surreal juxtaposition of harmony and rhythm, chaos and control, cynicism and enlightenment. Somewhat of a departure from typical Front 242 work, but undoubtedly cutting edge -- even for today -- in terms of electronic music/art; even if you do not musically enjoy the DSM01-04 "overture," if you will, then you will find it nearly impossible to dismiss the tedious care, craftsmanship, and original talent that was displayed and, fortunately for us, recorded on this seemingly innocuous little import EP. Enjoy....

though i usually don't purchase remix albums or singles, this one is definitely an exception. unlike most remix CDs that easily become repetetive and get thrown in that pile of albums you will never listen to again, this is one of those few that you will have playing over and over. each track has a style of its own, and those that are remixed have been completely reworked into songs hardly comparable to their originals. fans of Chicago's Sister Machine Gun will be happy to hear their amazing remix of Unkind, and Marc LaCorte of 16volt (under the moniker eyeamgod) does a great job at recreating a different track. every minute of this CD is fantastic, if you are a fan of acumen or electronic music you will definitely not be dissapointed with this release..

Wow! We just picked this album up as a hoot--the cover caught our attention, and the song list intrigued. If you're up for some experimental stuff, you have found it. It really defies description, and I have listened to a lot of very esoteric music. If pushed, I'd say you have something akin to a cross between the Space Negros and Shockabilly and Beatle's sitar. The instruments are haunting, the arrangements fab, and the overall musicality top notch. If you like your music on the edge (of just about everything), this is a good catch.

I've been a fan for longer than I care to say. On that note, just buy Agogo for the best tracks that you're missing, and use the rest of the cash on the excellent Money and Angst era remix singles. That is, of course, assuming you don't have the mainline albums.

even though this ultra-rare album is most likely to be bought by kmfdm fanatics/completists, i would say that this is the album that showcases kmfdm's style differences the best. at first i was skeptical about buying this because i felt that the 5-star rating were due to the amount of money forked over for it. i threw out a significant amount of money for this album and it hasn't disappointed one bit..even if you have the re-release, hell to go, i would recommend this...anyways, this album basically showcases the sounds of kmfdm up to their "nihil" album....for instance, the song "naive" will appeal to fans of the money album...go to hell and godlike will appeal to the metalhead fans of angst and nihil....their is a live version of don't blow your top's "disgust." the "virus dub" will appeal to the UAIOE people...liebesleid and achtung will appeal to the dancey fans who found beast and juke joint jezebel great...the album even has some unique flavor of its own...die now live later and friede are unique compared to anything else they have done.

i hate to sound like im bragging about having this ultra expensive album, but sadly it is an essential in my book....hell to go will suffice if you are a small spender though!..or at least wait until this is re-released.

Nihil being the best of KMFDM's 'ultra heavy beat'/industrial metal days, Naive is the best (meaning most consistent) of their earlier period. Most KMFDM albums have a fair share of filler songs and guest appearances that are occasionally bad and ruin the feel of the album (Dogma, Anarchy). Early KMFDM was often repetitive, boring and pointless.

This album marked a transition into an emphasis on heavy, dancable beats and bass, catchy lyrics and for the first time coherent song structures. The production is vastly improved from their early efforts- the drum sounds kick, although guitars are still way too low in the mix, a problem that continued all the way up until Nihil. Played through good speakers this album grooves like no other. Sascha's vocals are monotone and lazy, little aggression or energy compared to the KMFDM of later days. This makes Naive a great chill out record.

Most of the songs follow a similar formula- catchy bass/beat with overlaid Sascha chant and occasional clean or distorted guitar, switching between 'verse' and 'chorus'. "Achtung", "Die Now- Live Later" and the funky "Virus" are my personal favorites.

"Go to Hell" is an anthem that hints at what would be unleashed on 1993's "Angst" and beyond. "Liebeslied" has less minimalism then the rest, augmenting the sound with string samples and catchy synth melodies. This song is rightful considered an industrial classic. "Disgust" is an older song that sounds infinitely better on this album (in live form). The parts have been almost totally rewritten from the "Don't Blow Your Top" version.

A complete, spacy and fun early KMFDM album, and one of the best dance albums of all time. "Money" continued in this sound with some more great songs, but wasn't long enough.

I bought this CD a week ago and have been listening to it non-stop since. Nobody combines electronic music with didgeridoos, sitars, and ethereal vocals like these guys. Each song builds to it's particular frequency- and so does the album. Each track gets progessively more beat-driven and the effect is awesome. With the exception of a couple chill-out tracks, by the end of the CD you'll feel like a tribal warrior dancing on the eve of your greatest conquest. Ok that might be a little over the top. I'm not a "flying person" like the producer says but I got pretty close flying down the freeway at around 100mph listening to this CD. ... Seriouly- if you like Thievery Corporation, Kruder and Dorfmeister, Govinda, etc.- you'll dig this. Give it a listen.

This is good introduction to the more minimalist and eerie Nursey style.

The title track definitely has much missing - there's no beats, no themes, no real direction. A low and slowly throbbing pulse is punctuated by metallic strikes and eventually by eerie whispered demonic chants and disembodied part-words, a barking dog, etc, etc... Weird, spacious and spooky, it sets up a delightful ambience for the tracks to follow. Mesmerising!!!

'Swansong' comes at you in waves, slow and subtle variations on low noise patterns that lull you into a false sense of security (a missing sense?). A noise blast that fades into nothingness ends the track, just to remind you that 'people who bought this album also bought...' (Throbbing Gristle, Coil, SPK etc, etc....).

'Dada' is a headtrip! A delightful low drone builds to gripping unrequited crescendi, pierced by harsh metallic industrial screams and sampled monologues. Somehow it morphs into an audio collage of bangs, twangs, pops and scrapes until giving us a final unrequited crescendo to make us wonder what we might have missed. Gripping, and with a longer use-by date than some of the more gimmicky NWW offerings on other albums. Rivetting!

What is really missing here is a wasted moment. This is engaging intelligent avante-garde electronica - timeless for this punter. Best listened to on headphones, it is one of the most listenable NWW releases.

ESSENTIAL NWW AND A GOOD LISTEN FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES THE DARK SIDE OF AVANTE-GARDE ELECTRONIC ECLECTICA. IF YOU MISS THIS ALBUM, YOU HAVE NO SENSE!

Steven Stapleton created this CD to be the equivalent of "musical wallpaper". Each track acheives this. The title track is influenced by Robert Ashley's _Automatic Writing_. I prefer Stapleton's rendition to Ashley's work. Yes, all of these tracks are very "minimal" - but each creates a mood that is hard to describe. It's the feeling of being in a quiet elevator - alone - and gently drifting to the top floor of a building. There's always a high frequency sound that is heard: A sound that you hear almost nowhere else. Unique tones and sounds such as this are ALL OVER this recording. That is the essence of _A Missing Sense_.

It says that the title track was written to accompany his (Stapleton's) experimentation with LSD. I find this music very enjoyable - perfectly straight. The addition of a mind-altering substance may??? heighten the experience, but I feel this can be appreciated anytime.

...and then there is the artwork. Disturbing, shocking. You wouldn't place this CD on top of your CD pile, because the front cover comes out and visually slaps you in the face.

This is one of my favorite NwW recordings. I play it often. You should do the same. It clears and relaxes the mind, and prepares you for what looms ahead.

There aren't many recordings that I can say that about.

BUY THIS ALBUM FOR THE ARTWORK ALONE. It is completely horrifying in a very alluring way.

This disk is composed of 3 tracks that have detailed descriptions/explainations included. The styles range the general ambient to noise profile of typical NWW albums. Those this is one of the more minimal albums, I greatly enjoyed reading the concept behind each track as a guide to listening.

Definately another NWW avantgarde masterpiece.

i really liked this cd, before it burnt up.

i use to dj and this cd was a nice little sneaky surprise to throw in... if someone requested a certian song from the 80's, i'd play it off this disk, and they still danced.

i actually liked "space age love soing" better then the original.

sorry!

anyways, it is a nice little add to any goth/80's music admirees.

This cd can be enjoyed by the goths and by the fans of the 80's. One can really appreciate the dark sounds this cd offers. I especially enjoyed Masquerade by Immortalis Amor, I don't think Terry Nunn could ever sound like that. You Spin Me Round is also good, even though Dead or Alive's version sounds better. So buy it if you love the 80's or dark morbid music.

Usherhouse comes through on this release. To me this was a time when they actually made decent music, as opposed to later material which seemed to lack the amount of heart put into this recording.

All of the songs on this release are worth a listen. Upbeat and pretty dark.
3 stars for their effort though I cant give more than that since its still not my "cup of tea" really..

"The Line" and "Avalanche" are two of the standouts.

Revisted this CD after it'd been sitting on the shelf for a few years...simply awesome! The overall effect still comes off with energy, depth, and above all, power. Just like it did way back then. The mark of a good recording? Timelessness...

Though the band sounds like they had more than a few "competing" egos at the time (compare Brian's silky smooth alto on 'Mind Enemy Mind' versus do-it-all guitarist Ivan's ragged performance on 'The Line'), they still had it going on.

Of special note is the syncopation between Robert on drums and Bob on bass...very, very essential to the mix, and quite in the forefront with Steve Albini's "dry" production approach. Sort of like PJ Harvey's 'Rid of Me' or Nirvana's 'In Utero', for that matter.

Take a listen, you'll enjoy it immensely. But personally, I'd stay away from their "newer" stuff...it's way too commercial and Ivan's vocals aren't stellar at all. At least he tried hard. But worse, they point a little too clearly to their ultimate, unfortunate demise. Sort of like Ireland's Therapy? suffered when they got too commercial and sappy.