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Coming later this month (August) I’ll be launching my brand new Powered By Noise podcast.  Stay tuned.

–DJ Rift

Interface - Destination Focus (Nilaihah Records)

Two years after their last full length release, Interface return with the Destination Focus EP.

“Destination” is a very strong song vocally. Eric’s delivery is solid and the chorus hooks into your brain and keeps going long after the song is over.  There are three remixes of “Destination” and are all worth inclusion on this disc.  The State of the Union remix is the strongest in my opinion, it’s got a thicker sonic feel to it without being too muddy.  Mindless Faith puts their spin on the title track as well adding their signature sound from their Momentum CD, listening to this remix it’s evident as to the artist responsible.  The Code 64 remix is a bit quicker in tempo than the original and has a brighter, crisper and more synthetic feel to it with the instrumentation coming off very video-game like especially in the lead line between verse and chorus.

“Inferno“, an instrumental track, has strong elements of early techno and trance and feels like it would fit well in a warehouse party with thousands of people moving to an endless beat.  It definitely carries the energy found in early Icon of Coil dancefloor hits.

“North Star” sounds reminiscent of early Neuroticfish and could easily be a strong single on it’s own.

“After Hours” begins with a bubbling synth line and a sparse vocal line.  I’m slightly reminded of the opening for Stromkern’s cover of “Anthrax”, though “After Hours” is much more chill and lacks any aggressive qualities.

The “Destination Focus” EP is hopefully an indication of the quality we can expect from the next full length.  If this proves to be the case it’s been well worth the wait.

Unheilig - Puppenspiel (Nilaihah Records)

This is the first release for Unheilig to be domestically available in the United States, thanks to Nilaihah Records. This band has been putting out albums in Germany since 2001 and it really shows with their release of Puppenspiel. Fans of acts like Eisbrecher and Rammstein will delight at the deep vocals sung in German and the heavy handed guitars mixed with electronics. There is a bit of a symphonic feel to the album through the use of strings in some of the tracks as well. Overall the vocals are smoother than their aforementioned peers, lending a more goth feel to the sound rather than a rough industrial one. There’s still enough energy charged into things to keep it from getting boring, repetitive and sounding generic. There’s a good mix of guitar driven tracks and slower more ballad-like songs to make it a good listen from start to finish.

Nachtmahr - Feuer Frei! - (Vendetta Music)

Feuer Frei! is the second album from Nachtmahr, which is the brainchild of Thomas Rainer. Thomas is previously known for his work with L’Ame Immortelle and Siechtum. He takes the hard hitting energy, programming experience, and vocal style from his other projects and directs it into his very own Nachtmahr. Following the success of Kunst Ist Krieg, Nachtmahr’s debut release, this proper full length for his solo project has definitely hit the ground running.

Two tracks were carried over from Nachtmahr’s debut release onto this full length album. One of those tracks happens to be the title track and the other one, “Deus Ex Machina”, is very much a stand out track on the album. This project is a very well executed combination of Rhythmic Noise and Modern EBM with an emphasis on energy and danceability. “Nachtmahr”, “Feuer Frei!”, “Opferzeit”, and “Deus Ex Machina” all have very infectious vocal hooks in the chorus and are the stand out tracks featuring vocals on the album. The vocals are of the distorted variety, much in the vein of Thomas’ vocal work with L’Ame Immortelle. Of the “instrumental” tracks “Karusell” really grabs me with the driving and pulsing bassline that’s coupled with a somewhat airy synth line. Another stand out “instrumental” track is “Endzeitstimmung”, the bassbeat in this track could fit just as easily into a high-energy dance track by Underworld. “Endzeitstimmung” is also reminiscent of work by This Morn’ Omina or S.I.N.A.

Feuer Frei! is an album that can find a home on the dancefloor, in your car, on your iPod, and anywhere else there’s need for a driving beat. Definitely pick up this album if you get the chance, it’s well worth many spins.

Up next from Nachtmahr is the Katharsis EP, featuring various remixes along with new material, which is due out in September of 2008.

Mike Patton - A Perfect Place (Ipecac Recordings)

Mike Patton refuses to leave a single creative stone unturned in his exploration of music and sound. Not only can you hear him screaming throughout the recent movie I Am Legend as the monster voices, but he also composed the score for a short film called A Perfect Place.

Several of Patton’s other projects draw inspiration from movie music, including Fantomas. The music of A Perfect Place sounds similar to the more melodic moments of that band. Imagine horror movie music crossed with a spy thriller score, then mix in the rhythms and bright brass sound of the Brazilian influenced jazz that was popular in the 1960s. This is particularly evident in the “Main Title” track and much of the instrumental pieces. Also, a very catchy melodic theme, first introduced in the second track through whistling, is woven throughout the score–a guaranteed earworm which you will find yourself whistling long after the CD stops spinning.

The three songs on which Patton’s voice appears stand out from the rest. “A Perfect Twist” is a playful pop song in which he gleefully sings about torture. “A Dream Of Roses” is another pop song in an old swing style. The recording is even distorted to make it sound like it’s being played on an ancient scratchy record, an effect that is also used on “Il Cupo Dolore,” a dramatic almost operatic composition sung in Italian.

Another curious bonus is the inclusion of two “Car Radio” tracks, which are used in the film while the actors are flipping through the radio trying to find something to listen to while driving. Patton composed every little bit of each track, which includes snippets of music, some even less than a second long, in between the fuzz of radio static.

The film itself, by Derrick Scocchera, is so short that anything I say about it may spoil it (In fact Patton’s soundtrack is longer than the movie), but it’s not too much to say it is a humorous neo-noir story and well worth watching. The DVD is packaged along with the music CD without any additional cost.

Without a doubt, this is essential music for current Mike Patton fans. I would also heartily recommend this to anyone who enjoys movie soundtracks. If you’re a listener with eclectic tastes, you cannot go wrong with this movie and music combo.

Cylab - Disemminate (Whispercore Records)

Coming off the release of their second album, Satellites, Cylab offer up a full length remix album to the tune of 13 remixes and one cover song. With the exception of “Greys” and “Motion Fix”, all of the original versions for the remixes com from Satellites, with the exceptions coming from their debut release Unparallel Universe.

Cylab, in general, has a trip-hop bend to their music in the style of the vocals and these remixes do a very good job of preserving that feel while putting them into different contexts. The remix of “Embryo Time” by Pacific Mile makes the song even more chill with a smooth bass beat and an almost house feel to it, it reminds me of any number of Delerium songs and remixes. The remix of “Greys” by Shok sounds like it could have been done originally by Garbage and remixed by Nine Inch Nails or Filter. “Dented Halos” gets remix treatment by both Imperative Reaction and Skinjob, both who make it into an even more floor pounding electro-industrial dance track. One of the big differences between the remixes of “Dented Halos” is the increase in tempo (from about 116 to 130 bpm) of the Imperative Reaction mix, while the other remix keeps the tempo of the original. Displacer’s remix of of “Satellites” makes this song even more chilling and hypnotizing with the vocal effects they run throughout the song and layer with less processed airy tracks of the same vox, and the repetitive nature of this remix tops it off making it hard to stop listening to over and over again. Combichrist appears on this disc and delivers a disco fueled remix of “Kundalini” with a groove that’s got a real dirty feel due to the synth they break in during the chorus, almost like running a trumpet line that’s slurred through an overdrive effect. The Hype in a Party remix of “Parting Fields” is a very sparse but effective mix layering a rhythm track, synth-bass, vocals and not much else to create a very head nodding (Roxbury style) groove from beginning to end. Not to be forgotten, Cylab’s cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” really delivers, the smooth female vocals and excellent delivery really make this cover shine and I’d dare say it’s almost worth the price of the CD for the cover. This version of “Heart Shaped Box” would have no problem holding up on the dancefloor.

I could go on with all the other tracks but I’ll simply stop here and say that if any of the above piqued your interest that this album is well worth the money whether you decide to buy the CD or snag it off iTunes.

Iris - Hydra (Diffusion Records)

Released officially on March 28th 2008 (but available before then exclusively on their US tour with Seabound), Iris brings their next musical offering in an EP of sorts. Hydra gives us more than just music, outside of the three brand new songs and 10 remixes is a DVD of “behind the scenes” footage.

The three new songs on this EP are picking up where Wrath left off, continuing the evolution of the Synthpop/Rock hybrid that Iris has become. The blend of electronic and guitars has really blossomed for this group since Awakening, and I think they’ve managed to stay true to their synthpop roots in the process. Of the three new tracks “Stop Breaking Your Own Heart” stood out to me the most, it has an ascending quality to it that rises through the verses, peaks at the chorus and then drops back down to do it again, much like a sawtooth wave. The remixes on this EP run the gamut of club floor tracks to trance/house and chillout. Andrew Sega’s mix of “Wait Move On” has a feeling of being touched by BT, Mesh delivers the real floor pounding remix of “Lands of Fire”, and Dan Kearley ties up the CD with a chillout grove of “Delivered One”. The other remixes fill out the EP quite nicely and make for a good listen, the remix portion of this EP flows extremely well from start to finish.

The DVD is 30 minutes of interview footage, cam footage from various tours, and a few live snippets as well. The interviews cover the more recent history of Iris as a band from Awakening up through Wrath. Reagan, Andrew, and Brian Pearson recount their touring experiences which are interspersed with footage taken by the band. You get to follow Iris as they experience and talk about Germany, Sweden, Poland and Mexico. I really enjoyed watching this DVD and think it’s a great addition to this EP.

Angels on Acid - Eyes Behind the Curtain (DSBP Records)

Hailing from North Carolina, this trio lays down a great mix of Aggro-Industrial & Harsh-Electro/EBM. Infectious beats laced with some great lead syths and guitar make Angels on Acid stand out amongst a scene of electro-only harsh ebm acts. A good variance on the vocal sound between clean and processed help keep things interesting from start to finish.

Track wise, the stand outs for me are: Eyes Behind the Curtain, The Vile, Misery Loves Company, I Am the Future, and Salvation. There are some elements on this album that really remind me of earlier Razed in Black material, which I’m a fan of for its guitar driven pulse. I’m glad to hear a resurgence of a more guitar-based sound in the “industrial” genres these days, Angels on Acid is definitely contributing to this. If you pick up Eyes Behind The Curtain you won’t be disappointed with the same old thing, this band’s debut album adds some great variety to the sounds of their genre. As of January 2008 Angels on Acid have signed with DSBP records who have re-released Eyes Behind the Curtain with a bonus track. Angels on Acid will be releasing their next full-length album on DSBP.

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