First off the alias of the artist/composer Butt Boy is enough to make most straight men cringe. However the name is chosen simply because the artist writes music for what he calls "head-trip sex" and the composer is also an openly gay male in the BDSM, bondage, scene. First I'll say that personally I think a more tactful name should be chosen for this music project as the name itself drastically limits the audience and the music is not specifically something that only gay men or even fans of the bondage scene can enjoy. Of course the only reason I've ever heard of him is I use to live in Dallas Texas and while traversing local shops for fetish gear ran across his CDs which were described to me as a sort of cinematic industrial. I never did work up the nerve to bring a Butt Boy CD to the counter or even have one sitting around my massive CD collection as my friends would ask too many obvious questions. As silly as it is, and as confident in my own heterosexuality, I was 'afraid' to own a Butt Boy CD.
Well, now that I'm doing reviews and my curiosity was piqued, I was reminded of this music by my recent exposure to Robert Lloyd Anderson. Thus, I contacted Butt Boy in hopes of finally finding out what this was all about and maybe helping another independent artist further their musical success.
First off, the music is very interesting even though a bit simplistic at times. It reminds me of electronic New Age combined with a bit of Industrial and sometimes even Gothic influence. The first track is very airy sounding with lots of sampled choral 'ahs' and is very much like some early New Age I've heard though I can't place the artist now. Much like the music on those computer animation compilations set to music called "The Mind's Eye" series. The second track reminds me of a halloween album I've heard called "Music For Your Nightmare" which was all original compositions on synth. It has a feel of suspense and the sound of an early 1990's video game. The third track becomes a bit more dark and has a rather organ-like sound, like a gothic vampire playing dance music. I specifically like the bottle bells and deep 'ahs' here. Track four is very interesting and reminds me a bit of bands like Die Form and Chris & Cosey minus lyrics and a bit more light in texture. Track five has a deep 'umpa' sound that is interesting, almost carnival like but this would be a Killer Klown carnival. The final track, all nameless, is much more tempered and ambient in origin and ever so slightly reminds me of the general feel created by the works of Midnight Syndicate only a different style of music.
This album has some interesting beats, grooves, and atmospheres. It tends to be a bit simplistic and reminiscient of video game music at times. There is also a bit of an overuse of some sounds like bottle bells and 'ahs' are very often used - sounds that anyone with an inexpensive keyboard can easily concoct. At times the synths sound a bit outdated as well - sort of Casio-like. However, it sounds like the composer is simply doing the best he can with what is available and/or affordable and at that the compositions themselves can easily stand alone. Sometimes the unobtrusiveness and simplicity of the track simply lends more to the stimulated imagination making this music very likely quite suitable for it's purpose.
If the project name were changed to something for a more general audience and if the synth sounds are updated slightly this composer could easily gain a worthy amount of recognition. Overall it is not bad work and a worthy listen and I'd be curious to follow what he will do next.

Autodidact are (or were? This was recorded in 99-00 and issued last year) Rkf (guitars, effects, loops, editing) and The Ice Queen Esmeralda (beats 'n bass). "The blooming of one hundred shotguns" is a long journey through abstract but evocative atmospheres. Tracks are often composed of several movements, like mini suites. It's mostly effected guitar drones, which are very well orchestrated so that the result is an ever mutating, ominous sonic mass - psychedelic but often scary and grand. Sometimes the bass and programmed beats come in, giving a more rockin' backbone though mainly repeating the same riffs in a quite minimalistic way - it's like an ambient version of noise-wave, with some resemblance of bands like Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine or Jesus and Mary Chain. You have to approach the whole work with adequate mood and concentration, since tracks are very long and the structure based on repetition can put you off at a first listening - but it's a good cd of experimental guitar-based ambient.

A short time after the "No candle light" ep (see archive), here's the new full length by the German trio. Listening to the ep, I thought this work would be more melodic and singalong, but it actually resembles much "Virus: Hate" in its preference for mid-tempos and gloomy, heavy atmospheres, with davaNtage's characteristic low, unfiltered vocals. Only "Crisis" has a faster pace, and the catchiest tune along with "No candle light", while other tracks opt for a darker and more meditative approach. All lyrics (which, oddly enough, are written by an external collaborator) are very political and are mostly focused on globalization, market policies, riots and international crisis; one exception being "Coldest Place", which, if I'm not wrong, is inspired by the tragedy of the Kursk submarine in Russia. All comes out very honest and straight from the heart; it's somehow nice to see that davaNtage put a lot of effort in conveying a message and not just throwing off some rhythms. The layout, by EchoRausch, is a mix of hi-tech design and small real life photos accompanying the lyrics - not my cup of tea, but it works and is quite adequate to represent the band's mix of technology and political message.

Ok, this has been out for a while - I'm guilty of the delay, apologies to Athanor and their distributor. But the fact that lots of people have listened to and commented this sort of makes things more interesting. Somebody has loved "Absinthe", which was a long announced and awaited work - some others have dismissed the work as a missed opportunity to say the least. Actually, those who were waiting for another "The Gospel of Inhumanity" will be surely disappointed - also because, being a concept album, "Absinthe" does not present the variety of styles of the "Gospel". "Absinthe" takes the hallucinated atmospheres of the eponymous track on Blood Axis debut to an extreme of originality and philologic accuracy. Samples - probably mainly assembled by LJDLP - come from late XIX/early XX century and lyrics are taken from authors who experimented with the "green madness"; all illustrations of the luxurious digipack and colour booklet are reproductions of French originals from the same period (there's also a thank you to the Musée de l'Absinthe). The sounds themselves (including Annabel Lee's violin) have been skillfully mixed with a patina of antiquity; out of these misty melodies comes Moynihan's mesmerizing recital which really conveys both despair and stoned voluptuousness. Sounds suggest decadence, ecstatic rapture and terrifying visions, and perfectly adhere to the theme - kudos to the artists for not repeating passively their trademark sound but taking it to new dimensions...

eh. not that great. if you see it in the 2 for $5 bin at your local record store, pick it up...otherwise...don't waste your money.