After pretty much coining the term "ebm" and selling several million albums worldwide, belgian electronic music pioneering producers Daniel Bressanutti & Patrick Codenys, aka Front 242, are back under the moniker Speed Tribe with their first 5.1 surround release and also what seems to be one of the first immersive entertainment products that combine DVD, CD and the internet to ever hit the streets. Speed Tribe, released by US based label/portal Dance.com, breaks new ground in cross-media integration, or convergent entertainment, or multimedia production, if you prefer to use this (too) commonly abused and mistaken mass-terminology. This good looking and stylish DVD/CD set is packaged into a folding digipack DVD case. The theme is, of course, speed, and in particular the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race and its fast cars.
"Fear, what is fear? False expectations appearing real..". Starting with the stereo music of the CD, the first thing any person familiar with F242 would notice, is that it ain't F242's EBM anymore. And if you are afraid you are missing out on Bressanutti/Codenys' new direction, then be, because there is much to talk about but even more to listen to and discover. The two dope producer dudes have evolved along with the rest of the world and, as much as the 242 were absolutely super cool, after the initial surprise/displacement, I was glad to find out they are "different"... You may read "different" as in much more trance, techno, ambient, experimental, minimal and even almost tribal at times... You may read "different" as in not what you would commonly refer to as EBM! The experimental trance aspect is definitely the first thing that hits you... Repetitions, dronings, rumbles covering the full spectrum of frequency, occasional sweeping and swiping through with filtered rezo sounds and other techno-like gems, Speed Tribe is amazing and when you reach track 24 (oops, here's the number again!) you wonder how that happened so fast. The roaring engines of the phat-ass cars in track 23 remind you that if you started with the CD, like I did, there is more to come when you'll pop in the DVD!
Even more exhilarating, the cutting edge music you heard on the CD now is right on the money with the artistical footage directed by Rod Chong and Sharon Matarazzo (Marilyn Manson, JXL). The focus is on a tight synchronisation between audio and visuals that really delivers. Futuristic rave-like graphics and lettering, cinematic but very original style, lots of experimentation with pixelling, simulated 3D effects, slicing, looping and simple but effective and quick camera feed movements and flickering that are made to be in the pocket with the noises, the beats and the sounds in the audio concept. There are two 24 minute edits of the video for you, the first representing the original version while the second being an audio/video remix with different cuts and a more experimental and ambient experience... "There is stillness in the speed, there is silence in the sound": these two sentences describe what the music does when it reaches that climax where, despite full speed, you feel like you are floating in open space, still; and when the hard-hitting techno becomes one with the luscious ambience and the atmospheric soundscapes, when the source textures escape the beats and rapture you in a rumbling and primitive ecstasy on the wings of power and harmony and the anarchist noise bits and engine noises. If you listen to the DVD on a Dolby Digital 5.1 or a DTS 5.1 Surround Sound system it really takes you to whole other level indeed!!! And if you are still hungry for speed, you can use the special access code that comes in the package to enter the member-only area of the Speed Tribe website where you are granted access to another 24 minutes of unreleased music, a third 6-minute audio/video remix, a flash trailer, desktop images and other downloads. The DVD finally also includes interviews which are quite disappointing because they are audio only (while you expect them to be video too, since they are on a DVD ultimately) and because they only include interviews with drivers and not with people involved in this project and Daniel/Patrick in particular. And because the DVD was lacking an interview with them I think I'll get in touch with them right away and try to arrange an interview for Chain D.L.K. immediately.
Check out this release 'cause its really well done and interesting! I strongly recommend it and please note that if you buy from the link above you will get a $5 discount and you'll be able to get it for just $19, which is not too bad for a CD+DVD.
"Fuel your senses [...] when you are at speed there is no fear". Just don't drive after listening to this 'cause you could hurt yourself or someone else! And if you are still wondering whether the couple can still "im rhythmus bleiben": yes they can!

Boshetunmay is the project of two Siberian brothers, Harry (vocals, lyrics) and Witali Dercho (guitar and piano-player, music writer, producer) who have been living in West Germany since 1993 and formed the band two years later. They released an eponymous demo-tape in 1998, a debut cd-ep ("Useless Life", 2000), a promo cd single ("Vote for the Black", 2001), and then this second full length (11 songs, 48'). Their press sheet defines their music "electro-rock with gothic, wave, dance and metal influences", which sums it up pretty well. Let's say there's a heavy dose of gothic and darkwave ("The Shame", "Lullaby", "Is anyone?", "Corporation of dreams"), often mixed with lighter "rock" parts, and a prominent electronic background in the programmed beats - these give an upbeat rhythm to the tracks, sometime verging on electro ("Vote for the Black") or dance ("A clod in your throat").

Third record (11 tracks, 48 minutes) for this Belgian trio, formed by Johan Peeters (guitards and vocals), Erik Duffeler (lead vocals) and Tom Simons (synths, programming and vocals). TVOT's tracks are a blend of typical gothic rock songs and an electro backbone with upbeat programmed drumming. Some tracks lean more on the dark side of their spectrum, some others on the rhythmic/dance one - "Alone in the Shower" is even closer to flat out techno than to electro/EBM. The opening track, "Exceed", has also some Indian melodies thrown in which are then developed in the instrumental ethno trip-hop remix which closes the work. Pretty standard layout without much fantasy, Reinlender 1977 has done much better in other works.

Lost Signal is Charles Rehill at vocals, lyrics, programming and composition; this cd also features Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) at production, mixing and additional programming, and Mads Fogt (Arzt+Pfusch) at digital mastering. The production is actually very well done, with clear and powerful sounds. Lost Signal plays a blend of pounding and aggressive (but not monotonous) electro beats, some ethereal synth/keyboards layer and clear, unfiltered vocals delivering some personal, existentialist lyrics. There's a constant presence of multi-layered beats and catchy melancholic tunes, like in "Apathy", which sort of draws a line between Lost Signal and the tons of heavier, but rougher electro acts.

Alfa Matrix is a relative new label which is linked to the well known electro magazine Side Line. This compilation starts a new concept of gathering four different CD singles together and sell them at a normal CD price. In this way you get sixteen tracks, you've got a deeper idea of the label's bands and you save some money. I liked the idea which I think is also useful to present to the audience new bands just to test them. On this first issue we find Aibforcen, Epsilon Minus, Plastic Noise Experience and Hungry Lucy. The first two bands play a mixture of e.b.m., synthpop with techno inserts and female vocals (personally I don't like that much the effect because it's too dancey and lolita voices tend to annoy me). Plastic Noise Experience is powerful as always and "Clean Head" (here present in three versions alon with "Mechanical Beatz") is a good tense industrial track which confirms the value of this project. A note: better the original version respect the Implant and Pzycho Bitch even if this last created something really interesting slowing down a little the rhythm and exceeding with the distorted rhythms. Hungry Lucy are more mellow respect the first two bands, a little more synthpop and the tracks are catchy but, I'm sorry, I don't really dig these fairy female voices: they tend to sound the same while a personal voice could improve a lot a band's sound.