Sooner than expected the French Electro/Industrial musician Vincent Puyol aka ELECTRO SYNTHETIC REBELLION returns with "a collection of previously unreleased and rare versions". Aptly titled with the additional term "V1", Vince has opened his filled archives and gives us a first kind of "best of...". While other maybe more famous bands release here and there such a "best of..." collection featuring their already known and released stuff, the concept behind this one differs a lot. Yes, Vincent’s club-compatible doorknockers like "Re-Animate", Final Rebellion", "Free My Soul" or "Shattered Dreams" are all here – but they’re all presented in exclusive and never-heard-before remix versions. It seems that Vince has produced to almost all of his tracks alternative versions – no doubt, this stuff needs to get published. Also, and this is another remarkable point, here’s no foreign remix work presented – all stuff here is the purest ESR work. Besides this, here are some unreleased tracks which have a historical importance if you’re an approved ESR user with deeper knowledge of the discography and happenings around this French act.
This release opens with the unreleased track "Rebirth" which seems to be the title track of the first ESR demo, which Vince has produced in 1999. Musically – not surprising – very much placed into his "Distorted Visions" era, but still surprising, that this fine tune hasn’t found its way on this debut full-length release out on the now defunct Wire Records. Two alternative remix versions of "Re-Animate (Pulse Remix)" and "Bio-Machine (Slow Agony)" are coming next – both pieces were available in Vincent’s earlier years as free MP3 downloads from his website.
We then come into the real treat to get two unreleased tracks named "Contamination" and "Dark Sky", both produced around 2002. With respect to the rich given quality his second full-length album "Corroded Fragments", released in 2003 on both Wire (European edition) and DSBP (US edition), has to offer, both would have been well-placed on this album. So sad, that a CD can handle at maximum up to 78 minutes and "Corroded Fragments" is filled. As far what I remember, I guess that these both tracks were originally recorded to take place on a planned DCD set, which Vince was gonna conducting to be out on a French label called La Citadel. This release came never to life and this label has closed its doors before anything seriously could be arranged. Also the track "Re-Programmed", which is for the most European consumers a rather unknown piece, because it is originally only available on the US version, seems to be taken out of this time. This track to me was always that piece which the most marked the difference between the rather minimal constructed debut "Distorted Vision" compared to the technically improved "Corroded Fragments". So here you’ll got an alternative version of "Re-Programmed" plus then 4 additional versions of "Synthetic Stimulant", "Final Rebellion", "Losing Control" and "Free My Soul". So his "Corroded Fragments" era takes the most space on this collection release.

His third studio album "Persistence", out in 2004 on DSBP and with a planned release on the defunct Polish label Black Flames Records, brought us the two pieces "Shattered Dreams" and "Regression". So also from these fine pieces here are the alternative versions. Last but not least, here comes a demo version of a new track called "Tinnitus". It isn’t fun at all if you – as a musician – have to live with a limitation of the ability to hear. Unfortunately this happened with Vince in the last year, as he has open and friendly commented in our interview, which you can find here somewhere on our website. I guess this piece deals directly with his disease, instead of some pieces available on his last studio album "Scars And Wounds", which were rather dedicated with the issues and influences on his personality and behavior.
Finally I would like to point out, that almost all important compilations featuring a special version or remix of ESR will keep their value. So CD hunters and collectors who – like me – were always pleased to find a special goody produced by this French mad man on a few comps can be proud to own this releases:

V/A- In This Cold Terrific Room #2, out on La Chambre Froide in March 2005,
Track : ?Fight Power (Tactical Mix)", Label : www.lachambrefroide.net

V/A – High Voltage III, out on Dying Culture in May 2002
Track : ?Black Out (edited)", www.dying-culture.de (out of business)

V/A – Resist The Command 2, out on Dystopian Records in March 2002
Track : ?Resist (Counterstroke Mix)", www.dystopianrecords.com (in hiatus)

V/A - Elegy Magazine Issue #15, out in April 2001
Track : ?Re-Animate (Free Your Mind Remix)", www.elegymag.com

Soon out on the Spanish label Caustic Records will be a DCD set collecting French and Spanish acts, on which you’ll be able to find a different version on the ESR track "Regression".
So finally, if this collective release will be repeated with a second or a third issue belongs on you, the fan and interested Electro/Industrial listener, and how much of you will purchase this item. There’s a lot of more stuff collecting dust in Vincent’s archives, just notice his always included remix names he has added through the years on all of his albums. Much more is in stock, the only on his website released Hypno Mix of his track "Under Control" (a very personal favorite of min I have to admit...), or the Cyber Mix of "Bio-Machine", both out originally on his "Distorted Vision" debut come to my mind as possible examples. I look forward to this and keep my hopes high, that Vince will be able to continue this as a kind of series.