Amadou Sall can be considered a veteran already. In the early nineties he used to play in Treponem Pal, a band that through out a few albums pionereed the crossover of metal and electronics. Way more metal than Nine Inch Nails, more rock oriented than Young Gods, less claustrophobic that Godflesh, yet an original force, the first experiment of this kind coming from France, one of the first in Europe. Collapse formed in 1997, and evolved till this 6th release into something that can be easily filed under EBM in every record store. Their biography cites VNV Nation, and you can really feel a stronger concern on melody comparing with older releases, but still trying to indulge on some form of aggression. The mission is not perfectly executed indeed, the (up)beats are mostly very danceable, the arpeggiator works damn good, but feels like something is missing, and this is about power. Vocals are a bit too rough to be melodic, but yet not too angry. The many guitar samples fill in perfectly but a bit too much in the background, and the whole sound sometimes is a bit spoiled. It's about artistic choices that no one can criticize, but feels like the band is approaching the shores of catchiness and dancefloors with a strong heritage of aggressive approaches in both music and lyrics without knowing how to perfectly deal with it. I would call it a transition record and I'm definitely looking forward the following one because I believe that Collapse can really give its own definition of industrial rock.

Funny I happen to review this release right after having bought a repress of Hawkwind's classic "Doremi Solfa Tido", not that they have that much in common music wise, but there's no doubt they both deal with space, earth and other astral amenities. This release on Record Label Records is a kick ass object itself: it consist of a small box-jewel box that contains the cd and the booklet and the graphic of the whole release reminds me of ancient drawing explorators were drawing when coming back after one of their many journeys. In opposition to what my incipit may suggest, this is a particular electronic release that made me think to some Warp records heroes during the "artificial intelligence" days, but "across time and space" is heavily influenced by some religious, crepuscular ambient music and by some modern electronic artists. I'm putting the emphasis on this "modern" influence since Nommo Ego is far from those wishy washy revivalists trying to pass you some old ideas as new, if you take care to the particulars, and you listen to the rhythmic sounds he uses I dare you to tell me this guy present to his time. I think a title like "across time and space" may give you a good idea this music is probably meant to travel and during several listenings that's what I've done sat back on my sofa and wandered across time and space. At the same time don't take it as an hint to think this' one of those monumental releases dealing with eternity and with ancestral dreams and so on, despite its nightly shade this work has much more to share with melancholy than with a "lost in a forest" kind of experience. This is definitely what I call an inspired release, give it a try.

Usually I'm not the greatest fan of reworks or similar ideas above all when we deal with classic masterpieces, there're a couple of basic reasons behind my reticence, first of which is the fact even if an artist love this or that work I can't see any use in reshaping something that's already perfect. In many cases instead you happen to find reworks can even compete with face to face with the original material and that's is the case of Vert's rework of Jarret's Koln Concert. This time with have unstoppable Philippe Petit of String of Consciousness-Bip Hop-Pandemonium fame giving a new suit to Mahler's Off to Titan, and despite my initial reticence the work is good even if the touch of the French electronic artist is quite soft and even thought I'm not sure the way his use of Jono Podmore's theremin is always convincing. Funny in the inner notes Petit speaks about "2001. Space Odyssey" since this work obviously reminds me of the greatest Ligeti used for the soundtrack, at the same time the beginning of the first movement reminded me some parts of Vangelis' soundtrack for Blade Runner. While the intervention of Petit is quite mimetic during the first episode, with the second sketch he enters the scene? more firmly with some low tones creating some strange disharmony with the original orchestration. It's just with the last episode the we have some definite sounds bringing us back to present time, some high pitched electronic notes duetting with theremin and parallel sailing with the orchestra. I've to admit I was not immediately impressed by the very first listenings but lately it grew on me, maybe it's a bit too simple (or simplistic) but at the same time its simplicity and the fact in spite of working behind the front line is always perceptible. Still really classic and not that far from the original but still a interesting.

After questioning himself about politics in the previous EP, Ian, with his project Quartersized this time for his fifth release with a bit of irony take a serious problem like fat as theme, packing four tracks which thanks to sonic bass frequencies will destroy fat cells. Mixing the chants of Abelam of Papua Niugini with hip-hop beats on "Getto", covering Throbbing Gristle's "Discipline" making it turns into a dub upbeat tune, using vocals of an unknown preacher on the electronic closing "This earthly frame" and mixing acid bass lines with break beat drums and samples on the opening "Bingowings", Quartersized is playing with sounds and rhythms succeeding into sounding funny but credible at the same time. The release is available as CDr and digital download.

After five of silence from his second EP released on Orson Records, Andy Shaw is back with a new EP on Mullet Records. The Artificial Arm (Andy decided for this name because this reflects his personal situation), on RE-ARM is presenting four great electro funk tracks. "Welcome To Planet Funk" and "Go Back In Time" are here in a different edit compared to the old versions contained on the old EPs while "Press Start To Dance" and "You've Been Messing With My Mind" are two new songs which sound just great. Andy has a good ability into mixing and alternating analog synth sounds and it isn't impossible to stay still while listening synth glides calling for a new arpeggio. Bleeps and vocoder prepare the ground for warm pads which make you cry for more. The Artificial Arm is the ideal place where Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder meet and if you love electro funk you won't miss this release for sure. Available from tomorrow at the major download stores.